


The Ballad of the Sea

by BelleMorte180



Series: Ballad of the Sea [1]
Category: The Originals (TV), The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-14
Updated: 2020-10-14
Packaged: 2021-03-09 01:00:43
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 26,643
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27006226
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BelleMorte180/pseuds/BelleMorte180
Summary: Across the ocean she ran, chased by a pirate who pursued her in a never ending waltz. Back and forth. Push and pull. Caroline never thought that the chase would end with her being dragged back to England. She should have known it would end that way, for Klaus was stubborn. When he found a bounty worth taking, he was ruthless until he obtained what he desired.This time, what he desired was Caroline.Nomination: KC Award category: Best AU human one-shot
Relationships: Caroline Forbes/Klaus Mikaelson
Series: Ballad of the Sea [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2147721
Comments: 62
Kudos: 150





	The Ballad of the Sea

**Author's Note:**

> DISCLAIMER: There are graphic discussions of sexual assault and the trauma a survivor feels because of said assault. If this is a trigger for you or something that bothers you, you are forward that this story deals with it. There is also graphic depictions of violence and murder. 
> 
> I want to say that I put so much time and effort into this story that I really hope you enjoy it. Leave me a comment and enjoy.

_Port Royal: 1712_

The moment the pirates demolished the inside of Bonnie’s brothel, Caroline knew that she needed to run. It was only so long that she would have been able to hide out in her friend’s establishment, pretending to be someone’s whore. It was one thing to hear the cannon firing off in the distance, but it was something else completely for pirates to be raiding her temporary home. She felt a slight pang of guilt for the trouble it would cause Bonnie, but her friend knew the risks when letting her stay, and Bonnie knew the risks of servicing pirates.

It was foolish of Caroline to come to Port Royal, a place known for frequent pirate activity, but she found that she had nowhere else to go. One would find it romantic to have a man chase her, not only across continents but across the entire ocean but at this point, Caroline found it rather obnoxious. While she was not one to stay in one place for long, Caroline did like to be able to live comfortably from time to time. Being hunted across the Atlantic was not living comfortably.

Woman and a few men, all dressed sparingly, ran past her, screaming in terror. She just rolled her eyes and quickly slid out the back door into a dark alleyway; the sounds of the raid graced her ears as she pulled her dark black cloak over her head. It wouldn’t be the first time she escaped one of his raids and she was sure it wouldn’t be the last. She tucked her necklace down the bodice of her ivy-green dress and slipped the small flintlock pistol she had hiding in the backside of her corset. It was already loaded, enough for one shot but Caroline found that sometimes that was enough. That and with the small knife she stole during one of her cons, Caroline felt comfortable enough to know that she could take on an attacker.

Especially when she found that she was not as alone in the alleyway as she had thought.

 _So, he had them waiting for me. He is learning. I suppose they made him their captain for a reason._ Caroline’s thoughts echoed in the back of her mind as her attacker stepped out of the shadows. She could tell he had dark hair and ice cold eyes that sent chills down her spine. She hadn’t felt such a reaction since she was tossed out of France as a young debutante for falling for a nobleman’s sweet promises.

The man advanced on her, but Caroline stood her ground. When he reached her, her arm was quick, and she jammed the small knife directly into his jugular. The sight of his blood spilling from his mouth did not bother her as it once might have. Although, Caroline found that she was not the young naive girl who believed that romanticized notion of a man’s intentions either. So, when she seduced and stole from the Duke of Devonshire, fleeing England before he even found her side of the bed empty, she considered it business as usual. Caroline just never thought he would send his bastard half-brother on chase after her.

Perhaps it was Elijah’s promises to make her a duchess that should have tipped her off.

“Now, now Sweetheart, he was one of my best men.” Caroline whipped around and pointed her pistol at the man walking down the alley. He had his hands up as though he meant her no harm, but Caroline knew better than to assume he was being genuine. She took in his appearance. He was dressed far better and cleaner than any other pirate she had come across. He was in a pair of tight-fitting breeches and a well-maintained waistcoat. He had curly sandy blonde hair, pale blue eyes and the same infuriating dimples that made her weak in the knees when she first met his brother.

“He was one of your best men? Really? I think you need to find new men.” Caroline retorted, not bothering to look down at the man who was bleeding out at her feet. The pirate captain in front of her smirked and it only made the dimples on his cheeks become more pronounced. Caroline felt her heart begin to beat furiously in her veins. She knew this moment would come eventually, because if there was one thing Caroline learned about Captain Niklaus Mikaelson, better known as Klaus, it was that he was just as determined as he was stubborn.

“Oh, I think I have plenty of men. Some are better than others.” The sound of a cannon echoing in the distance and in the flash that lit up the sunset sky, Caroline could see at least a dozen men standing on the outside of the alleyway. In an instant, Caroline knew that the small pistol in her hand would not be enough. She could easily take out their captain and maybe a few others with her knife but eventually they would overpower her. As though he was reading her mind, the pirate captain held out his hand to her. “You have sent me on quite the chase this past year. I propose it is time for the two of us to have overdue conversation.”

Klaus, was ruthless in his pursuit and was perhaps the most sought-after pirate of her generation. Caroline knew that she would only be able to avoid him for some time because he would never stop coming after her. That did not mean that she was not going to go down without a fight. However, in that moment she knew that she had no other choice but to slip her hand into his outstretched one. He linked her arm under his and pulled her close, causing her to catch the scent of cologne. She had to admit than he smelled better than she would have assumed.

Klaus led her through the damaged streets of Port Royal, a band of at least a dozen of his most trusted pirates following them. When his men saw him with her on his arm, they abandoned their pillaging and joined them. The crowd that surrounded their descent towards the docks grew bigger as the whispers echoed through the crowd knew that Klaus had found what he had come for. Being the only woman among the mass of pirates and hanging off of Klaus’s arm, it was obvious that she was the bounty he sought after.

Caroline had a sense of pride and held her head high as they walked through the streets. Out of the corner of her eye, Caroline saw Bonnie standing in the crowd. Her dark brown hair piled on top of her head and she wore a deep blood red dress fitting that of a true madam. Her expression was one of concern and for a moment, Caroline thought her friend was about to rush to her aid, but Caroline shook her head, stopping her. The last thing she wanted to repay Bonnie with for her kindness was her death.

As they approached the docks, Caroline paused, her blue eyes growing wide. In the setting sun, Caroline could see dozens and dozens of ships rocking in the light waves of the ocean. There was a moment six months previously that Caroline had seen the fleet as she ran from Klaus at docks of the New World and she had been impressed by them. Yet it was nothing compared to seeing them up close. The rumor was that Klaus was the captain of well over a hundred ships. To know that they all had been searching for Caroline in the depths of the Atlantic and she was successfully able to avoid them for so long made Caroline rather proud of herself.

Caroline turned her head and saw Klaus taking in her expression. Not willing to give him an inch of satisfaction, Caroline cooled her features and cocked one eyebrow at him. Klaus smirked at her, clearly knowing that she was toying with him.

“Well, which one is yours?”

“All of them.”

“Obviously.” Caroline snapped back with narrowed eyes. “I meant which one will I be sleeping in. And I might add that I’m taking the captains quarters” She looked over her shoulder at the men behind her and scowled. While their captain was well groomed, she could not say the same thing for his crew. “I am not bunkering down with the lot of them, so be prepared to give up your bed.”

“Oh, Sweetheart, having you in my bed would be no hardship at all, but be prepared to share because if you think I’m letting you alone for one moment… well this little game we’ve been playing only proves that you’re not a fool.” Klaus smirked at her and nodded towards one of the small row boats. Not needing to be told twice, Caroline made her way towards the small boat and climbed in. She sat down on the small wooden seat and narrowed her eyes as Klaus sat down across from her. Their eyes locked in a contest of wills, neither was willing to break first.

Another pirate with dark skin and dreadlocks climbed in behind them and began to row them between the ships. Caroline was not sure how long they sat in the small boat, but she refused to admire the ships she passed. Klaus wanted her to be impressed and terrified of his fleet but Caroline was unwilling to give him what he desired. If he was going to claim the victory of their chase, Caroline was going to go gracefully, but also stubbornly. Her refusal to bow to him seemed to amuse him rather anger him.

Caroline found it infuriating.

Above the ships, Caroline could see the Jolly Roger flying in the sea breeze. Through the smoke and clouds, the flag held an ominous sort of promise. Those who saw the flag typically in for a very bad day and Caroline could not help but admit that she had found herself in more desirable circumstances than the one she found herself in currently, she might have enjoyed sailing under such a flag. When they reached the ship that was directly in the center of the fleet, a ladder was tossed over the side and Klaus grabbed it.

“Ladies first.”

“What? Scared I’m going to jump ship?”

“I wouldn’t put it past you.” Klaus countered and Caroline narrowed her eyes, admitting silently that she had thought about it. She reached out and grabbed the ladder from him and slowly began to climb up the side of the ship; swaying her hips as she went. If Klaus was going to toy with her, then she at the very least was going to give him a show.

When she reached the railing of the ship, she stood on the final step of the ladder, gazing at the remaining crew with unimpressed glare. They all appeared dirty and unkept. A few men did not seem to know the meaning behind a hairbrush and Caroline found the concept of having to spend however long aboard this ship with them unfortunate; at least until she can find a way out of her situation. The crew gazed back at her in a surprised manner as though they had never seen a woman on their ship before.

“Well, are none of you gentlemen going to help a lady on board?” Caroline snapped and more than one of the pirates came rushing over. She slipped her hand into one of the cleanest men she could find and still made a note to wash her hand as quickly as she could. She hoisted herself over the ledge in the most graceful way she could manage. Once she was standing tall on her own two feet, Caroline looked at each and every one of the men in front of her, assessing them for their weaknesses. They were not her target, but it would not hurt to have them on her side.

 _These were pirates but were not all pirates’ men? Surely swaying them could not be too difficult._ Caroline thought to herself.

The ship itself was not overly impressive for it looked like any other ship she had been on. The flooring was made of wood and she could see grates that would open and lead to the deck below. Long ropes hung from rafters above and a set of stairs on each side of a door lead to an upper deck where the helm of the ship was located. If she tilted her head upward, she would see the crow’s nest lingering among the sails.

Klaus stood on the ledge as he climbed off the ladder and jumped down onto the deck beside her. His eyes studied her, and she knew he was searching for admiration of his ship. Caroline did not have to hide her reaction for she found nothing overly impressive but then again, she never did understand men’s fascination with their toys. Especially when they viewed women as their toys.

“Welcome to The Abattoir.” Klaus reached out and kissed her knuckles. Caroline should have yanked her hand out of his, but she wasn’t expecting her heart to start pounding in her chest. She had not felt herself flush this way in a long while and she cursed the Mikaelson men. The smirk that grew on his lips told Caroline that he was reading her like a book, and it infuriated her that someone was able to get under her skin. He let go of her hand and gave her a chuckle that made her clench her thighs. Klaus turned away from her and yelled to his men. “Hoist the sails! We sail for England.”

“England!” Caroline screeched; her momentary arousal forgotten. Her eyes grew wide and she started to follow him, the heels of her patten shoes clinking against the wooden ship flooring. Klaus was strolling away from her at a brisk pace, but she was not about to let him go so easily. “You cannot be serious! Taking me back to Elijah!? I refuse to go!”

Klaus turned around sharply and towered over her, for he was about a head taller than her. He gazed down at her, his nose merely inches from hers. Caroline did not blink or look away. She could tell that Klaus was a man who was used to being obeyed and did not take lightly to disobedience and yet Caroline was already pushing those boundaries with him.

“Come now, Sweetheart. You’re more than just a pretty face. You knew that once I caught you, I would be dragging you back to England.”

“So that’s it then? Your brother sends you on a wild goose chase for some bounty and you bow to his every whim?” Caroline hissed out, her accent slipping through her lips as her memories of Elijah surfacing. The duke was a proud man who was far more orderly than his brother that stood before her now. While there were massive differences between the two brothers, she could tell their need to be in charge was a family trait. “Tell me, is whatever prize you get worth my freedom? Vaut ma vie?”

“It is true that my saintly brother sent me after you, but neither of us ever said that you were the bounty.” Before Caroline could reply, Klaus turned from her and walked towards the door that would lead to the Captain’s Quarters. He held the door open wide and pointed inside. “Come, I’m sure you want to see where you will be sleeping.”

Holding her head high, Caroline moved toward the cabin and walked past him and into the room. It was large and bright, for the setting sun could be seen through a massive window that looked out onto the open sea. Caroline could see dozens of ships belonging to Klaus’s fleet, all that would be following them to England.

There was a large plush maroon rug that was spread out on the ground. On one side of the wall, a large bookshelf lined the wall. Canvases rested against the bookshelf and she could not help but notice that some of the canvases were blank. There was another window, smaller but still held a beautiful view of the sea and beneath it was a padded bench. The other wall heled a large comfortable looking bed that gave Caroline a small sense of satisfaction that she was kicking its master from it.

In the center of the room was a large dining table. She assumed that this was where Klaus conducted his business that could not be done on deck. However, it was cluttered with a massive amount of food, wine and other pleasantries. Everything seemed fresh and well prepared, telling Klaus that he was confident that he had finally caught up with her. Klaus walked over to the table and pulled out one of the chairs, motioning for her to take a seat.

“Please, have a seat. I haven’t forgotten all of my manners my mother taught me.” Caroline rolled her eyes and begrudgingly sat down in the chair, crossing her arms as she did. Pouting was beneath her, but she wanted to make it very clear that she was not happy about being dragged back to England. “Eat. Drink. You’ll be here awhile.”

“What a luxurious prison you’ve given me.” Caroline snapped back and Klaus chuckled again; Caroline cursing how much she enjoyed that sound. He walked around the table and picked up a bottle of wine, pouring her a glass before himself. He sat down in the chair across from her, his eyes never leaving her. “What?”

“Dame Caroline de Forbin.” Klaus drawled out the title she had not heard in a very long time. Caroline froze in her seat and narrowed her eyes. “Daughter and heiress of the Marquis William de Forbin. Banished from Versailles nine years ago and disowned from her family. Former fiancé of Seigneur Stefan Salvatore. Tell me, what could such a proper lady have done to earn such a marvelous fall from grace?”

“Captain Niklaus Mikaelson.” Caroline spit out as her nails dug into the jewels of the goblet in her hand. “Second son of the late Duke of Devonshire, Mikael Mikaelson. Kicked out of his home at the tender age of thirteen. Tell me, what could a young teenage boy have done to earn such a marvelous fall from grace? Ah yes, it was because you were your mother’s bastard, wasn’t it?”

Klaus stood from his seat in such a furious fashion that Caroline didn’t even notice the ship begin to move as they set sail. Caroline could see the blazing heat behind his eyes as the anger set in. She hit all the right buttons and felt no guilt at the low blow, for he had done the same to her and Caroline was not about to sit back and take such abuse.

“Do not speak of things you do not understand.” Klaus’s tone was low and dangerous. This was the pirate she had heard such tales about. The pirate that Caroline had to admit she found fascinating despite the never-ending chase put her one.

“Then perhaps you should not speak of things you do not understand either.” Caroline hissed back and Klaus studied her again. There was a calculation behind the cold mask he wore and after a moment, he nodded. Slowly, Klaus sank back down into his seat and picked up his wine goblet.

“My apologies.” Klaus drank slowly from his wine goblet and the silence festered between them as Caroline contemplated her next move. She could seduce him and seeing that he was rather attractive Caroline found the prospect of being in his bed not terrible in the slightest. In fact, she was certain that she would rather enjoy it. However, while Klaus clearly found her amusing, he would be on his guard around her. Elijah, despite the fact that two were estranged as far as she knew, would have told him enough to not trust her.

“So if I’m not the object of your hunt, although the amount of running I had to do tells me otherwise, what is it that your brother sent you after?”

Klaus chuckled and did not say anything. He smirked at her, his annoyance from a moment ago appeared to be forgotten. He took a long swig of his wine and stood from the table. He walked around towards her and Caroline did not take her eyes off of him. He came to stand behind her and placed his hands one her covered shoulders.

His hand unhooked the black cloak and revealed the tanned skin of her shoulders. He traced his finger tips over her collarbones. Caroline bit back a moan at the feeling and the fact that she had not been with a man in months came flooding back to her.

“I wouldn’t say that Elijah didn’t send me after you, for you did break his heart into a thousand little pieces but there was something far more important that he wanted.” Klaus’s fingers traced the chain of her necklace and pulled out the pendant that rested against her cleavage. “This was what my brother is after.”

The pendant was made of pure silver and long lines stretching across it that reminded Caroline of a slithering snake. There was a small red ruby embedded into the necklace that shined brightly if the sun hit it in just the right way.

“My necklace? What is so special about that?”

“Not your necklace.”

“Très bien, I stole it from Elijah the night I left him but I took countless other things too. So what is so special about that necklace that he would send a dozen or so ships after me?”

“I thought we agreed not to speak of things we do not understand?” Klaus asked as he unfastened the necklace and pulled it from her neck. Caroline suddenly felt very naked without it. She had loved that necklace from the moment she saw it and took it without a second thought.

“I was asking in order to understand.” Caroline snapped as she watched him walk across the cabin and place the necklace in a small wooden box that was resting near his bedside. Caroline had a feeling that while she knew where the necklace was now, she wouldn’t come morning. Klaus was no fool to leave it in a place where she could find it. She would have to search for it before she fled again.

“Alright then, what exactly did you do to get tossed out of France? I’ve heard stories when I was chasing you but each tale grew wilder and wilder.” Klaus countered and Caroline narrowed her eyes at him. “I guess we shouldn’t ask questions we know the other is not going to answer.”

“Fine don’t tell me what is so important about that necklace.” Caroline snapped and reached for her goblet. “How did you know I was going to have it on me? I could have left it with my belongings at the brothel and we all would be out of luck.”

“I had a few of my men search your things for it as you tried to sneak out the back.” Klaus shrugged. “That and rumor had it that you're never seen without it on. A momentum of your love for my brother perhaps?”

“You’ve done your homework.” Caroline could not help but admit that she was rather impressed. She cocked her head at him and ranked her eyes over him. In the past year, Caroline collected everything she could learn about the pirate infront of her and it was flattering that he had done the same. It was a strange kind of dance they had done, a waltz spanning continents. “But to answer your question, no, I do not wear it because of your brother or anything I might have felt for him.”

“Then why?”

“The answer is simple. C'était joli. It was pretty.” Caroline shrugged and Klaus just gave her a bewildered expression, looking at her as though the reason she stole something that clearly was important to them because it was pretty was maddening. “I’m being honest. I did not realize the necklace held any real importance to Elijah. I just assumed he had picked it up somewhere at some point. Rich men have a tendency to do that when they have money to burn.”

“You must not know my brother all that well then.” Klaus teased her but there was amusement behind his eyes at the concept. Caroline knew that Elijah and Klaus were on the outs and had been for awhile and it was surprising that Elijah would send his brother after her. However, Klaus' amusement that Elijah clearly was more in love with Caroline than Caroline had been with him grated on her. She hated the fact that she had hurt Elijah. “I will enjoy writing to him and informing him of your lack of regard for him. And seeing how you beg for forgiveness when he sees you again.”

“I cared about Elijah.” Caroline snapped and narrowed her eyes. “Do not for a moment think that I did not. If I didn’t I would not have stayed as long as I had. I just didn’t love him enough to marry him.” Caroline stood from her chair and walked over to Klaus, standing directly in front of him, their noses mere inches from one another. “I am not meant to be caged and becoming a duchess would be nothing more than putting me into a fancy prison. I would have grown to hate him. I didn’t want that to happen.”

“How sentimental.” Klaus whispered, his eyes flickering to her lips and Caroline wanted him to kiss her, for she would enjoy the sting her hand would feel when she slapped him. Klaus appeared to have the same thought because he took a step back from her. Caroline was beginning to realize that Klaus was not so easy of a mark that she had originally thought. “Have a seat Mademoiselle, the food is getting cold.”

“I find that I am not hungry.”

“Then I will leave you to your rest.” Klaus pointed to the trunk that was pushed into the corner. “You will find a nightgown and a few other dresses that I’ve picked up along the way. If you need assistance undressing, feel free to come find me.” Klaus paused and looked over her body before coming to a conclusion. “Only me.”

With that Caroline watched as he left the cabin and just the door tightly. There was a click and Caroline bolted for the door, only to find that it was locked. She knew she could pick the lock and free herself but found that perhaps she would save that for a later date. She moved to the windows next, hoping to pry them open but found that she was unsuccessful for Klaus seemed to have bolted them shut prior to her arrival. Instead she was forced to watch the view of Port Royal fade away from her. One would think that Caroline de Forbin had been bested but many always seemed to underestimate her when she was cornered.

Caroline turned and looked around the cabin. Her eyes flickered towards the small chest that held the necklace and Caroline made a note to leave that be. She was sure that Klaus would check it every so often to ensure that she did not try and steal it back. If Caroline saw the opportunity to take it and flee, she would. Until the right moment arrived, she would just have to bid her time.

Knowing that she would be alone for some time, Caroline searched the remainder of the cabin, making sure to put everything back in its proper place before moving onto something else. When the sun had sunk into the sea and Caroline was forced to light the candles in the cabin, she knew that Klaus was due to return soon enough.

She went to the trunk and pulled out several of the dresses that rested beneath a beautiful cloth. Caroline had to admit that the dresses were beautiful, well made but a bit more modest than she was typically used to wearing. She supposed that Klaus would have had to of commednered these from some wealthy woman over the years and kept them tucked away for such an occasion. Caroline briefly wondered if any other woman had worn them during their say aboard the ship and she really did not enjoy the feeling that invoked.

_Caroline de Forbin did not get jealous._

Knowing that these clothes would have to make due since she fled Bonnie’s without any of her own clothing. Sucking up the remainder of her pride, Caroline undressed, doing the best she could with untying her corset, and slipped into the simple white nightgown the trunk provided. She pulled her long blond curls from the updo that was piled on her head and let them fall down around her waist. She moved to a full length mirror that was propped up against the cabin walls and looked at herself. For a moment, she swore she was seeing the ghost of her past staring back at her.

_You’re no longer that girl Caroline. You’re not weak. Not anymore._

Caroline was pulled from her musings as the click of lock on the door turned and she looked over her shoulder. Klaus came strolling in and froze as his eyes looked her over. The nightgown was white, fell to the ground and had small short sleeves on the side. While the dresses in the trunk were modest, the nightgown left little to the imagination. Klaus could clearly see the outline of her body against the thin fabric. Men. Such easy prey. Perhaps I will find my way off this boat faster than I anticipated.

“I see you found the nightgown.” Caroline enjoyed hearing how hoarse his voice was because it was clear that she had an affect on him and she knew that she could use that to her advantage. Slowly, she made her way over to him and placed her hand on his cheek. She traced his cheekbones and stepped closer to him until her chest was flush against his. She could feel his hot breath on her skin and the shade of his blue eyes grew darker with arousal.

“Yes. Thank you. Everything is beautiful.” Caroline locked eyes with him and leaned in to brush her lips against his. Before their lips met, Klaus took hold of Caroline’s wrists and spun her around, pressing her back against his chest. That hot breath was now breathing down the side of her face. Klaus pinned her arms to her side and the small infuriating chuckle that sounded in her ear.

“Nice try, Sweetheart but I think we both know that I’m too smart to be seduced by you.” Klaus whispered and as though upon instinct, Caroline thrusted her backside against his groin, feeling just how affected he was by her. He desired her, that much was obvious but he also seemed to have more restraint than some men she had known. He did hunt her down for over a year so it would take more than one evening for him to fall into bed with her.

“Perhaps that is why I like you.” Caroline cooed sweetly, and gave him that innocent smile that once belonged to the young girl who had the whole of Versailles eating out of her hand. Klaus gripped her hips and spun her back around to face him, his eyes pouring deeply into hers as though he was searching for some lost treasure buried deep within her.

“There are moments when I can see the woman my brother waxed poetically about. I can see why he fell in love with you but then you showed me the woman the world knows. The seductress.” Caroline opened her mouth to protest but Klaus placed his finger on her lips. “Goodnight Caroline. The voyage to England is a few weeks at best.”

Klaus pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it across the room. Caroline noticed three things all at one. The first being her perfectionist tendencies itching to walk across the room and pick up the discarded shirt in order to keep the cabin clean. The second was the muscular tone of Klaus’s body and how she itched to run her fingers across his abs. She supposed that being a pirate meant he got a lot of physical activity that would tone his body. However, her desire was offset by the third thing she noticed.

Klaus’s back was littered with scars. They were old and faded white but she could still make them out clearly. It was as though Klaus had been whipped vigorously and routinely to the point that his back had to be tender. The scars lined the entirety of his back and Caroline was so consumed by their intricacy that she did not even notice when Klaus dropped his pants.

“It is not nice to stare. Did your mother not teach you manners?” Caroline snapped her eyes from his naked body and landed on his eyes. His eyebrow was quirked and the smirk on his lips infuriating. Once when she was a young blushing maiden, she might have turned away but not now. As though proving a point, Caroline trailed her eyes down his body, taking in every inch of his naked skin; especially the semi hard erection he was sprouting despite having rejected her moments earlier.

“Oh she taught them to me, I just choose to ignore them.” Caroline’s tone was sweet but there was a hint of naughtiness in her tone that she could see had the desired effect on Klaus’s body. She turned from him and crawled into the inviting bed, pulling the covers up over her. “Bonne nuit, Klaus.”

Caroline laid in the bed and listened to Klaus rummage through another trunk and when she peeked at him, she could see that he slipped on a pair of night breeches, a fact that Caroline found rather disappointing if she was honest. She gave a quiet sigh and closed her eyes, willing sleep to come as she listened to Klaus blow out the candles in the cabin. She felt as he crawled into the bed next to her and when his hot breath touched her cheek, she shivered.

“Goodnight Sweetheart.”

The next morning Caroline woke to find herself alone in bed. She sat up and saw that the sun was hanging in the sky. She pulled herself from the bed and walked over to the door that led out to the main part of the ship. It was locked. Debating on whether or not she should bow to Klaus’s desire to keep her locked away in order to prevent her from fleeing into the open sea, feeling flattered that Klaus knew her skills well enough that she would be able to, or defy him by refusing to stay locked up.

Smirking widely, Caroline walked past the trunk filled with beautiful dresses he had given her to use and went to the one carrying his clothes. She opened it up and rummaged through, finding a small pair of leather pants that she could modify to fit her easily. She walked to her trunk and pulled out her corset from the previous day as well as a pair of boots laying on the bottom of the trunk. She tore the hem of her chemise and smirked.

She dressed quickly, lacing the corset in the front, around her chemise and tucking it into the leather pants. She slipped on the boots and moved to pull her hair back into a comfortable bun on the base of her neck in order to keep her hair from getting dirty. She grabbed her small knife and tucked it just under the hem of the corset to easy access if it was needed.

Once dressed, Caroline looked around the room and found one of the small dull knives that was sitting by the cold food she hoped someone would be in to clean up at some point. She walked over to the door and picking the lock proved to be easy. It was a simple trick she picked up when she ran into the bad end of a pair of slave traders.

She pushed open the door to see at least a dozen men working the ship and that there were even more ships sailing beside them. Men were pulling ropes while others were scrubbing the deck. She could even hear the faint music playing somewhere on the ship. Her eyes searched each of them until she found the man she was searching for.

Caroline met Klaus’s eye and smirked. He was standing near the steering wheel speaking to a dark skinned man who was holding a map. Caroline could not tell if he was impressed or annoyed that she found her way out of the cabin. Either way, Caroline quickly made her way towards the stairs, climbing them until she was at eye level with Klaus.

“Reporting for duty, Captain.”

“Duty?”

“Put me to work.” Klaus raised an eyebrow at her and the smirk on his lips turned upward. The man beside him snorted and Caroline narrowed her eyes at him.“What? Did you honestly think I would sit in that cabin all day, bored out of my mind? No. I want to do something, so here I am. Free labor and an extra pair of hands on board.”

“Marcel, hold down the fort. It seems I have a job to assign.” The tone Klaus used sent shivers down Caroline's spine and for a moment, she almost regretted her bravery, for it was obvious that Klaus was going to make her pay for it.

And that he did.

Klaus placed Caroline below deck and had her first scrubbing out the buckets the men used to relieve themselves. Once she was done with that, he had her cleaning out all the rotten food before scrubbing the below desk in the men’s sleeping quarters. Klaus went out of his way to assign the worst possible jobs he could think of, all the while watching her do everything he said without complaint.

Within three days, Caroline knew the ship like the back of her hand.

“You’re doing it wrong.” A thick Spanish voice from behind her sounded a week later and Caroline looked over her shoulder to see a tall man with broad shoulders gazing at her. He had dark brown hair and gentle eyes that did not belong on a pirate ship. He had a baby face and clearly was on the younger side compared to other crew members. “You’ve never cooked anything before have you?”

“No but I’m sure I’ll figure it out. How hard can it be to make a stew?” Caroline replied, with annoyed eyes. She gazed at the newcomer and he seemed harmless enough but Caroline knew better than to trust a harmless face, especially when that face belonged to a pirate. “Your captain seems to have run out of things for me to do so naturally he wanted to put the woman in the kitchen to cook the meals.”

“I wouldn’t have done that.”

“Parce que?”

“Because from what I’m seeing it is likely that you will poison us all and not on purpose.” The man replied and Caroline felt offended. Granted she had never cooked a day in her life but then, she had not cleaned out someone else’s shit either. It was a week of new experiences for her all around. She tossed the knife that was in her hand onto the wooden board and the potato followed suit, rolling off the table onto the ground. The young pirate bent down to pick it up and offered it to her as though it was a peace offering. “I didn’t mean to offend you.”

“No. It’s fine. And you are?” Caroline asked, crossing her arms with a quirked eyebrow. Over the course of the last three days, Caroline had come to know the high ranking members of the ship. There was Vincent the Quartermaster and Marcel the Firstmate. Then a pair of men by the names of Diego and Theirry who answered to Marcel. The rest were just crew and while Caroline worked to know their names, it was best to know who was in charge if she was going to find a way off this boat.

“Joshua Rosza but most just call me Josh.” Caroline nodded and watched as the young man walked around her and picked up another knife. Caroline tensed, for she never trusted when a man was armed around her. “Here, let me help. From what I can see, I know how to better cook than you. Plus, that is typically my job anyway.”

“Merci.” Josh nodded and the two began working in silence, Caroline watching his every move; both to learn from him but to also ensure that this was not a ploy to try and kill her. She studied him, taking in every inch of his person. They worked silently for a while but Caroline was never one comfortable with silence. “So, you’re new around here aren't you?”

“How did you know?”

“Your hands.” Caroline reached over and picked up his hand, tracing his palm gently. “They are not as callased as the rest of the mens’ hands. You haven’t been working with the ropes as long. Nor do you have scars upon you person, meaning you haven’t been involved with as many raids. Your clothes are well kept and not worn from months at sea.”

“You’re right. I can see that the rumors about you are true.” Josh startled at her observation while Caroline cocked an eyebrow at him. “Some of the men apparently found it odd that Klaus would spend so long chasing down a woman for his estranged brother. Theories from you being the captain's long lost lover to your blood being the key some ancient hidden treasure all floated around. That and you successfully avoided us for so long that you earned both our irritation and respect.”

“I see.” Caroline replied while Josh clearly was waiting to see if she would tell him exactly what was the purpose of her chase with Klaus. Yet, Caroline remained silent. She knew if she told Josh that the entire ship and possible the rest of the fleet would know by sun down. “And so, how did you come to be a pirate?”

“Simple story really. A few months back Klaus invaded the port of Seville in Spain. I was there, in irons because I had….well it matters not why I was there but I was facing the hangman’s noose. I was set to die the day he invaded. Klaus saw me in chains and gave me a choice. Stay and hang or join him.” Josh shrugged, turning back to the table and picked up the knife again, returning to peeling a potato. “I swore my loyalty with the knowledge that if I ever betrayed him, I’d walk the plank.”

“So he saved your life and condemned it all at the same time?” Caroline asked, knowing full well that Josh had little choice. When facing death, anyone would take the option of life when handed to them. “I can’t blame you. I've made far worse decisions in my life.”

“I believe that.” Caroline laughed out loud and smiled genuinely for the first time in a long while. “Klaus is not a cruel man. I mean, he is. Will kill a man without a second thought and has sunk more ships than any pirate in history but he believes in second chances. Most would have condemned me for what they believe are my sins but not Klaus. He gave me a chance. He gave every crew member a chance and it is why we follow him.”

“Are you trying to sell me the pirate life?”

“No. Just trying to make you understand that maybe you don’t want to flee from him.” Before Caroline could reply, Josh pushed on. “Take Marcel for example. This was before my time but Klaus raided a slave ship on the triangular trade route. Marcel was in chains and bound for the Americas. He was going to be sold off to some wealthy man but Klaus gave him a chance, the whole slave ship actually. If it wasn’t for Klaus, Marcel would be a slave right now. Or dead.”

Caroline stayed quiet for a moment, not knowing how to respond. In truth, she had not taken much thought as to the crew outside of knowing their ranks and weaknesses. The concept of how they came to be on Klaus’s crew was not something she stopped to learn. While turning the crew against Klaus was not something she planned on doing, their loyalty would make it difficult to escape. Life aboard the ship was not terrible, for most of the men left her alone due to Klaus’s orders but their destination was not a place she wanted to be.

“Perhaps it is not Klaus I am fleeing from.” Caroline whispered and before Josh could ask anymore, there was the sound of yelling and running coming from the deck above them. Both Josh and Caroline looked upward at the ceiling towards the noise. “What is happening?”

“Sounds like Klaus got wind of a ship.” The smile that spread across Josh’s lips and the spark of excitement in his eyes both terrified and excited Caroline. They could hear the sound of the wheels rolling on the wood and several men came flying down below the desk, pulling out barrels of items and sack bags. “It means that Klaus is about to raid whomever it is he is chasing.”

Without another word, Caroline tossed the knife down on the boards and darted up the wooden stairs to the main deck. Once the sunlight and salt air greeted her, Caroline watched as the crew all ran in different directions setting up the cannons, yelling commands to one another and signaling a few of the other ships; preparing for the attack. Caroline narrowed her eyes and spotted Klaus at the helm of the ship with Marcel standing loyally behind him. He was holding a spyglass in his hand in order to gaze at their target.

Caroline ran around the men in her way and made her way to the very front of the ship. When she reached the helm and stood directly beside Klaus, she could see the faint outside of a ship in the distance. Klaus lowered the spyglass, not even caring that she was beside him. He handed the device to Marcel and turned towards the steering wheel.

“It is a French merchant ship. It is heading northeast so that means it most likely is bringing goods from the Americas.”

“Sounds like a hefty treasure.” Marcel drawled and Caroline was startled to hear a hint of french in his accent. The tone reminded her of the southern part of France but she wondered if he came from the northern part of Africa instead, for their accents sounded similar at times. “Commands?”

“Stay by the wheel and do your best to advance on the vessel and command the cannons. Once raided, I want it on the bottom of the sea.” Marcel nodded and Klaus turned on his heels to look at Caroline. “And you go back to the Captain’s Quarters and stay there until I tell you otherwise.”

“Absolument pas! I’m not about to sit back like some damsel in distress when you’re up here pillaging and plundering!”

“Caroline, that is a French ship. Do you honestly think I would be foolish enough to let you near it?” Klaus told her and he clearly thought she was going to try and pull something to free herself by boarding that ship. For a split second she had considered it but if there was one place she wanted to be less than England, it was France.

“I was tossed out of France, remember? They left me behind a long time ago. Trust me when I tell you I’m the last woman who would ever help a frenchman.” Caroline held a deep conviction that caused Klaus to study her. For the first time since boarding that ship, Caroline was being completely honest and Klaus could tell.

“Very well.” Klaus pulled a flintlock pistol from his belt and handed it to her. Caroline took the pistol from his hand, her fingertips gracing over his knuckles, chills being sent up her arm at the light touch. “Load it and use it if necessary. I know you know how. Board with the men but know that if you betray me, you will not make it to England alive.”

“Bein.”

“Find a sword. Any sword and try not to die.” With that Klaus turned on his heels and marched away from her. Caroline looked down at the pistol in her hands and she could not help but feel the wave of excitement rush through her. Caroline learned that the rush of adrenaline was addicting and the idea of taking down a ship, a French one at that, was intoxicating.

“Je connais ce regard.” Marcel told her, eyeing her closely. His head was cocked to the side and his long dreadlock braids bristled in the slight sea breeze. “That is the look of a pirate. After this raid, you won’t want to leave.”

“I don’t know what you mean.” Caroline snapped and turned on her heels. She ran across the deck and back down the stairs, passing Josh who had taken over peeling the potatoes, appearing completely unfazed at the fact that they were about to go on a raid. Having searched every inch of the ship, Caroline knew exactly where Klaus and the crew kept their weapons. They were in a small cabin in the very back of the ship. She entered the compartment, passed a few very confused looking pirates and picked up a sword. She tied it to her belt and left without saying a word, knowing full well that the pirates were watching her.

When she reached the deck again, she saw several pirates loading the cannons, preparing them to aim at the ship they were chasing. It appears in less than the ten minutes she was below deck, they were able to gain a significant distance on the french ship. Several of the other ships in the fleet were surrounding the French ship, almost boxing it in with nowhere to go. She walked over Klaus who was watching his men prepare for battle, his hand firmly stationed on the pistol on his hip. His posture reminded Caroline of a military man, of someone who had the entire world within their reach.

Someone who understood the concept of freedom.

She made his way over to him and stood by his side, taking in the view he was gazing at. Dozens of men were running and yelling towards one another, giving commands. In the distance Caroline could see even more ships sailing towards them. The French had no hope, for it was almost like a pack circling their prey. Caroline suddenly realized that this was nothing more than child’s play to Klaus.

“What do we do?” Caroline asked him lightly and Klaus turned to her, cocking his eyebrow in question. That infuriating smirk on his lips that made Caroline want to equally smack him and kiss him. “I mean are you searching for something in particular? Or is this just a way for you lot to get your rocks off?”

“Both.” The chuckle behind his words was enough to send chills down her spine and arousal to pool between her legs. However, she was not about to give him that satisfaction so she narrowed her eyes in annoyance at his arrogance. “See something shiny? Take it. Fight. Survive those who try to kill you. You’re good at that.”

Caroline was unsure if he meant that as a compliment or not but the tone of his voice was both condescending and impressed. She knew that over the last few days, she exceeded every challenge Klaus threw her way. When someone thought she could not do something, she set out to prove them wrong. This raid was no exception. Klaus was waiting to see if she would fail and give up at the first sign of violence, but Caroline was not one to be underestimated; something she could see that Klaus understood.

The shouts of men tore them both away from their staring contest; they had to see the French ship wedged between two others. Cannons went off, smashing into the wood of the offending ship, and the scent of smoke reached her nostrils. She could hear the chaotic screams of men on both sides. Pirates descended upon the ship from both sides and she moved to join the frey, but Klaus grabbed her elbow, spinning her around.

“Be careful.” He whispered and for a second she thought he might lean down and kiss her on the lips; but he pulled away and joined his men instead. Caroline caught her breath and ran down the steps, searching for a plank to cross. She found one between two sets of cannons and climbed onto it, refusing to look down at the crashing waves of the ocean below. She jumped on to the french ship and looked around.

Chaos was afoot. The pirates were showing no mercy and the Frenchmen were dropping like flies. The scent of smoke, sea and death reached her. A man came at her, sword raised and screaming as though his life depended upon it. Caroline grabbed her sword quickly and went directly for the gut, slicing him open so his intestines spilled out onto the deck. She moved away from him quickly in order to swing her sword at another man coming at her.

It was madness. One man went down only for another to come at her. Caroline had been in her fair share of tight spots and taking a man’s life was nothing new to her at this point. However, she had never been in such a battle before and if it were not for the other pirates around her, she knew that she would have been in over her head. Yet, with the commodery and helping hands, Caroline realized that Marcel was right.

The pirate life was indeed intoxicating.

The battle raged on. The sound of steel on steel was like music and Caroline found it was a dance she was good at. The blood was pumping through her veins with each swing of her sword. She also realized that she did not have to fight fair. There was no code of conduct when it was about life or death, instead dirty tricks were welcome and she was more than willing to use the fact that she was a woman to her advantage. When she came face to face with another man, he gripped her wrist tightly and was able to toss her sword over the ledge of the ship. Caroline reached for her knife that she always carried on her and shoved it into the jugular of the man.

She eventually was able to make her way across the deck and to what she believed was the captain's quarters. She pulled out a pin from her hair and picked the lock easily, bursting the doors open. The cabin was plain and boring compared to the one Klaus used, but she supposed that a respectable man of the sea would not need such opulence.

Caroline moved to the wooden cabinets and started tearing them apart. She was not gentle or kind. She tossed the clothing on the floor and flipped through the pages of the books. She picked the lock on a few trunks and found a few interesting items, but nothing pretty that she would have wanted. She would leave those for the pirates. She searched the desk, the shelves and everything she could find. She went to the long and tall wardrobe last, opening it up to find not treasure, but a man hiding inside.

“What the hell?” Caroline peered down at the man and took a step back in shock. He seemed terrified, for his hands were curled in his black hair and he appeared to be shaking. He was dressed in fine clothing, much nicer than the ones the men she had taken down wore. She took a brief look around the cabin and the realization came to her. “Oh, you’re the captain. Bloody shit one at that if you’re hiding in here.”

The captain peered up at her and behind the brown eyes, she saw a shift when he caught sight of her. Gone was the terrified man who was cowering away from the men invading his ship and was replaced by something Caroline did not like. She moved to grip her knife as he flew from the cabinet. She went to plunge the knife but the man was faster. He hit her across the face, the force causing her to drop the knife, the sound of it clattering to the ground sent a wave of fear through Caroline that she had not felt in years.

Suddenly, she felt sixteen again.

The captain grabbed her by her hair and tossed her onto his desk. He reached down quickly and grabbed her by the throat, squeezing hard to the point that it was hard to breath. She gripped his wrist, trying to pull it from her neck but he was stronger. She reached down to her waist, trying to pull the pistol Klaus had given her from her belt. She couldn’t get it loose and it genuinely confused her when the sound of a gunshot rang out very close to her.

The captain slumped over her, covering her body with his. Caroline placed her hands on his chest and shoved him hard onto the ground, slipping from the desk in the process. When she hit the floor, she quickly crawled away from the body, wanting to put as much distance from him as possible. The dark hair and the angry eyes made her think that it was someone else for a second; making her forget where she was.

 _This is not Versailles. You’re safe. This is not Versailles._ Caroline whispered over and over to herself, never taking her eyes off the dead body that now laid on the floor. Her heart was pumping wildly in her chest and it took several deep breaths in order to calm it. It had been many months since she panicked in such a manner and she suddenly hated herself for it.

Caroline turned to look up to see where the shot had come from and she saw Klaus standing over her with a pistol in his hand, glaring down at the dead captain with a look of pure fury. She did not completely understand the expression he was wearing. She knew that Klaus could be ruthless, spending months on the run from him taught her that, but to see him so angry at a man he could not have known was a whole different question.

Klaus lowered his pistol and holstered it on his hip. He walked over to Caroline and held out his hand. Without even thinking, Caroline reached up and took it, allowing Klaus to help her stand on her own two feet. He steadied her and looked down at her. Gone was the fury and replaced with real concern. For a moment his eyes, although a different color, reminded her of Elijah. They held a soft sort of longing in them that instead of the piercing fear she had felt with Elijah, there was warmth of comfort in them.

They felt like freedom.

“Are you alright?” Klaus asked her, pulling Caroling from his gaze. She felt him rub soothing circles on her arms in hopes of bringing her comfort. Caroline nodded uncertainty, gazing down at the dead body. It was far from her first but there was something so satisfying about seeing the man dead. “What happened?”

“I don’t know. I froze. He reminded me of someone. That's all.” Caroline shrugged Klaus’s arms off her and on instinct, Caroline wrapped her arms around her middle. Klaus’s eyes trailed over her and she saw the flicker of understanding, only to be replaced by fury again. He nodded, not broaching the topic and picked up Caroline’s knife that she had dropped; handing it back to her. “Thank you.”

She wasn’t thanking him for the knife and they both knew it.

“The raid is over. The men are loading some trunks they found at the bottom onto the ships, I’ll have someone grab the trunks in here. Head back over to our ship. This one is about to be laid on the bottom of the sea.” Caroline nodded, her eyes lingering over the dead man again. “Do you want to go through the loot with the crew? Find something you like?”

“No.” Caroline shook her head. “I’m tired. I think I’m going to rest.”

“Very well.”

Klaus placed his hand on the small of her back and led her out of the captain’s quarters and back to the deck. Some men from the French ship were on their knees while the pirates all around them cheered about their victory. Caroline heard none of it. It all sounded like ringing in her ear. The battle had been won and yet Caroline was only feeling the panic swell up inside her. It wasn’t the fight or the death, it was that man’s eyes staring down at her with his hands around her throat; something Caroline had vowed she would never allow to happen again.

Caroline crawled across the plank, feeling Klaus’s eyes on her as she made her way across to The Abattoir and jumped down onto the deck. Several men were rooting through trunks while others were bringing more over. She bypassed them all and headed directly for the cabin she had been sharing with Klaus for the past week.

She walked inside and shut the door behind her. She kept herself busy, moving through the motions of what was expected of her. She undressed, slipped on her nightgown and combed through her hair for more times than was necessary. She focused on her breathing and refused to close her eyes because if she did, she knew what she would see; a lifetime's old nightmare.

_You’re safe. You’re safe. You’re safe._

In the distance she could hear the sound of cannon fire. She curled up on the cushioned bench by the window to see the french ship sinking deep into the sea; the captain's body with it. There was something soothing about the sight, and the knowledge that no one would know what happened to him. He would be washed away with the waves, to be forgotten while Caroline lived on.

A knock on the cabin’s door pulled Caroline from her musings. She called to bid the knocker entrance, knowing that it would be Klaus. None of the crew requested entrance of this part of the ship unless Klaus was already inside. Slowly, Klaus opened the door and peered inside. He saw that she was dressed for bed, her hair loose around her shoulders and robe tied tightly around her waist. His eyes inspected her for injury, but not of the physical kind.

“I found something. I thought you might like it.” Klaus told her and walked over to her, holding out his hands. Dangling from his fingers was a silver chain with a matching pendant. Inside was a bright blue gem that looked like sapphire. At the base of the pendant there was a series of intricate designs that looked like snakes wrapping around the gem.

“It’s beautiful.”

“I saw it. It was pretty so I took it. Here let me put it on.” Klaus told her and Caroline turned around. She pulled her blonde hair to the side, making it easier for him to fachinet it around her neck. His fingertips graced her skin, making her shiver at the light touch. She could not help but notice how his fingers lingered once the clasp was fastened together. Once he pulled away, Caroline dropped her hair and turned to face him, the necklace resting against her chest. “Perfect. You can’t have the necklace that you stole from my brother, but that does not mean you cannot steal one from someone else.”

“I suppose that is one way to look at it.” Caroline chuckled lightly, the tone still slightly off but the corners of Klaus’s lips turned upright at the sound. He admired the necklace for a second before turning from her and heading for the decanter that was filled with wine. He pulled out two goblets and filled them. He picked them back up and walked over to Caroline, handing one to her.

She took the wine happily, taking a long drink from the goblet. Klaus sat down next to her on the bench and drank slowly. There was a comfortable silence that lingered between them. The heat was there, simmering on low. Yet, there was something else that was brewing, a mutual understanding and respect. She could tell that Klaus was not going to admit it, but she had impressed him this past week, and even during the raid despite its disastrous end for her.

“Caroline, why were you kicked out of France? The truth.” His tone was gentle and he was not demanding. He looked at her with concern, as though he was terrified that she was going to break. Caroline gripped her goblet tighter until her knuckles turned white. It was a story that she had not uttered to a single soul.

“What is so important about that necklace?” She countered, hoping to throw him off the question. Her past was something she very much wanted to leave there. She ran from it so long ago that sometimes she still felt like she was running, even when she knew no one was chasing her; Klaus notwithstanding.

“I’ll tell you that story, if you tell me yours.” Klaus offered and after studying his expression for a moment; she knew that he was genuine. He meant every word and Caroline wondered why that did not terrify her as it once would have. She could say no, drop the subject and never have it brought up again but there was something inside her that wanted to confess, and something that told her Klaus would understand.

“I’ll need more wine. This is not a story to be told sober.”

“Very well.” Klaus took the goblet from her hand and walked across the cabin to top off their wine. Caroline gazed out to the darkened sea, taking a few deep breaths in order to prepare herself for a discussion that she knew as long overdue. Klaus returned, handing her a fuller goblet than before. “Here.

“Merci.” She took a long drink as Klaus sat back down, this time kicking off his boots and curling up on the end of the bench. “Where to start? Oh, it's been what? Nine years since I had last been in France? Sometimes I forget that it has been that long. Tell me, in the year that you’ve hunted me down, what have you learned?”

“That you were engaged once to the second son of the Duc Guiseppe Salvatore. On the day of your wedding, you fled; refusing to marry him.” Klaus replied with the shrug of his shoulders. Caroline snorted and rolled her eyes looking out at the stars. “I take it that is not the case?”

“Oh no. That's all true, it's just not the entirety of the story. You see, it actually begins about six months before my wedding date.” Caroline took a sip of her wine again, her mind thinking back on memories she had longed to forget. “You see, it wasn’t Stefan I thought I was going to marry. Stefan was a kind man and it was nothing against him personally, I just did not want to marry him.”

“I don’t understand. Your engagement from what I’ve heard was very public.”

“Yes but you see I wasn’t courted by Stefan. Not at first.” Caroline took a deep breath, counting backwards before she could speak again. “I was sixteen, young and naive. I thought I was going to get married, travel the world and live this grand life. So, when Seigneur Damon Salvatore started to court me, I thought my plans were falling into place.”

“Stefan’s brother? Guiseppe’s eldest son? The heir to the Duche?” Caroline nodded and she wondered if Klaus was putting the pieces together. She knew that he was following along and watching her intently. Caroline felt as though she was being stripped bare, and that armor she had held it to her chest so tightly was being cracked.

“Yes. He first asked me to dance at some rich aristocrat’s ball. I don’t remember whose. He started coming around to do business with my father and then started to come and see me. He made it obvious that we were courting and paid particular attention to me in public. My parents were thrilled. They thought that I was making a prestigious match. I was going to become a Duchesse.”

“You didn’t want that?”

“At first I did. At first it seemed glamorous and everything that I had ever wanted. Then, the more I got to know Damon, the more realized I wanted anything but.” She drank again. “You see, Damon was all smiles and kind words in public. Yet, in the private moments when we were alone he claimed I was shallow, selfish and useless. He said that the only redeemable feature I had was that I was a pretty face.”

“You’re more than that. So much more.” Klaus replied with conviction that almost made her almost believe it. “I’ve known plenty of women in my life and none of them sent me chase like you did. You’re smart and quick. There were times when I thought I wasn’t going to find you. So, this Damon clearly wasn’t paying attention to the marvel that is you.”

“Merci. I think I really needed to hear that.” Caroline gave a slight humorless laugh. Klaus raised his goblet as though toasting to her and drank from it. “After awhile I began dreading his visits. I quickly learned that the reason he hated me so much was because I was the proper choice but not the one he wanted.”

“He loved someone else?”

“Elena Petrova. She was the daughter of a Bulgairan merchant. A wealthy merchant. Her mother was french and they made Versailles their home. Elena had wealthy dowry and was beautiful but she had no noble blood in her veins. Damon loved her despite it but Guiseppe refused consent. However, Stefan also loved her. Being the second son he had more freedom to choose his bride. It was clear Stefan was going to offer for Elena and it would have been an appropriate match. All the while Damon and I were stuck together.”

“What happened?” Klaus asked, dreading the answer. His tone was dark and hard. Caroline could see the fire behind his eyes as though he was anticipating her words. She took a deep breath again, drinking and feeling as though she was shaking slightly. Fear coursed through her as she thought back on the captain’s body that now was underwater.

“You know at first, the insults didn’t bother me. My parents’ marriage is loveless. My father is more focused on being serviced by his valet” Klaus raised his eyes at that “than my mother and my mother threw herself into her position to forget what was going on in her own home. I just assumed my marriage would be the same.”

“Caroline, what happened? Talk to me.”

“It was my seventeenth birthday. My father threw a ball in my honor. Damon was there and he drank far more than he should have. My father, having hoped to have him as a son in law, offered him one of the guest chambers. The party raged on into the early morning. I stumbled into my room right before sunrise.” Caroline went still, tears pooling in her eyes. “Damon was there, still drinking. He was sitting in the corner and I remember the feeling of ice pierce through me.”

Damon sat in the corner and his jet black was disheveled. The stubble on his jaw was grown and his clothes unkempt. His shirt was untucked from his pants and his jacket barely hanging on his shoulders. He downed his drink and stood, swaying his way over to her. Caroline’s heart was beating in her chest, her senses telling her to run.

_“Eh bien, si ce n’est pas mon fiancé?” Damon gripped Caroline’s chin, squeezing hard but not hard enough that would leave a bruise. Caroline reached up and gripped his wrist, trying to push him away but couldn’t. Damon backed her up against the door of her chambers, slamming her back against it. “Joyeux anniversaire, mon cher. Permet de vous offrir un cadeau.”_

_“S’il vous plait.” Caroline begged, her nails digging into Damon’s wrist sharp enough to draw blood. Damon gripped her throat tightly, lifting her from the floor before tossing her onto her bed. Caroline turned over and tried to crawl away. Damon gripped her ankle and pulled her back towards him. He turned her over and crawled over her body. “S’il vous plait. S’il vous plait.”_

_“Soit silencieux.” Damon hissed to her and placed his hand over her mouth. Caroline’s hands hit and slapped at him, tears streaming down her face. Damon ripped her bodice from her body, tearing her chemise as he went. He tore at her skirt, ruining the dress she had spent hours over choosing for her birthday. “Elena.”_

“He raped you.” The word slipped from his lips in a dark hiss, pulling Caroline from her memory. The look Klaus wore on his face mirrored the one had when he shot the captain who was choking her. However, this time it was far darker and far more terrifying. There was a burning rage that Caroline knew that she would not be able to tamper. She wondered what would happen if Klaus ever crossed Damon’s path. “Did Elijah know?”

“No. I never told him. He knew I wasn’t a virgin when we met, and I've had lovers since Damon but he was the first.” Caroline took a long drink, standing from her seat and held out her hand. Klaus handed her his goblet and she walked over to the decanter. She filled the goblets with wine and handed one to Klaus. “Elijah never asked about my past lovers and I never offered up that information.”

“I’ll kill him.”

“Please do.”

“And then? What happened?”

“With Damon?” Klaus nodded. “Nothing. He never acknowledged it. He pretended it didn’t happen. However, my handmaiden saw the bruises. She knew what happened and took care of me. Covered it up and we never spoke of it again. My father continued to praise Damon to the heavens and every time I had to dance with him, I died a little inside. And then the best thing happened.”

Caroline laughed but there was no joy behind it. Klaus gave her a strange look, wondering if she had lost her mind completely. Yet, if she did not laugh, she might cry. Caroline refused to shed another tear over Damon and if that meant she had to laugh instead, she would.

“You see, the important piece that I didn’t see in all of this was Elena. Turns out that Damon’s love for her was actually returned. She was playing both brothers at the same time. Openly courting Stefan but keeping Damon’s bed warm at night.” Caroline drank again, the effects of the wine slowly taking hold. “Clever little Elena arranged for her and Damon to be caught in her bed one night when she thought her father would be out. Her father was enraged. Called Damon out.”

“He offered to marry her didn’t he?”

“Oh yes. Most happily. You see, he couldn’t have such a blemish on the Duche. His father demanded he marry Elena so he did. Crushing Stefan’s heart in the process. And my father’s. He raged, claiming that I was stilted and promised something that I wasn’t.” Klaus’s lips turned upright, the smirk playing at the corners and he reached out to take her hand. “I was overjoyed. I felt like I was escaping from a torturous hell. I even went to their wedding. Wished Elena a happy life with him and was ready to move on. But then Damon gave toast.”

“No.”

“Oh yes. He indulged into his cups, staggering as he stood. He praised his new bride to heavens but insulted her at the same time. He threw their affair in my father’s face all the while telling the crowd in detail what he did to me. At his wedding toast. It felt like he hurt me all over again.” The room went still. Klaus did not know how to respond. There were no right words to say. He just held her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “I think the worst part of it all was how my own father called me a whore.”

“And Stefan?”

“Oh, he was the saving grace. Next morning he came to my home. My father was ready to throw me out and Stefan proposed. He wanted to make up for the damage Damon caused. Said he didn’t blame me. He knew that I was….a victim….I hate that word. He offered to marry me. Save my reputation and hopefully let us all move on with our lives. My father happily agreed. Announced my engagement to Stefan and all but shoved me up the aisle.”

“Taking your choice away.” Klaus whispered to her, understanding something that just came to him. Caroline could see it written on his face. “Elijah never would have taken your choices away. If you had married my brother when he asked, he wouldn’t have done what your father did. He wouldn’t have done what Damon did. He is a good man.”

“I thought the two of you didn’t get along?” Caroline teased. She remembered how Elijah would rant and rave about his brother but underneath it all that was a deep affection for Klaus. Even now, Caroline could see that reflected his grey-blue eyes. “I know he wouldn’t. The truth is he loved me more than I loved him. Being married to Elijah wouldn’t have been horrible at all, but I can’t be that girl. I want to be free. Elijah can’t give me that.”

“And Stefan?”

“I wrote him a letter. Fled the night before my wedding. Never heard from him since.” Caroline shrugged. “Stefan is a good man and I hope he found happiness but he didn’t love me. He would have been kind to me and we could have been friends but, again, I refuse to ever have my choice taken away.”

“The captain from earlier?”

“He looked like Damon and took me off guard. That's all.” Caroline sucked in a breath, realizing that it was the first time she was able to really speak on anything relating to Damon and her past. She always gave glib and brief summaries of her life in France, never diving too deep into what happened to her. Most of her lovers never inquired too much, mainly because they wanted her in their bed and Caroline wanted to use them for what they could offer her before setting off to someplace unknown. Yet, Klaus was different.

“It wasn’t your fault.” Klaus whispered. “What happened to you. It was not you. You did nothing wrong. This, Damon should be hung for what he has done. I’ve known men like him. I’ve employed men like him. They feel the need to be powerful over whomever their victim is. It is not just about sex. It never really was about sex. I have a feeling that this Elena is not enjoying her marriage as much as she thought she would have.”

“But she is a Duchesse.”

“Well there is that.” Caroline snorted, sipping her wine as Klaus looked at her. She knew he was searching for a break down and in a moment, she realized that their hands were still linked together. She looked down at their hands, her heartbeat speeding up and a feeling in her chest that she just didn't quite understand lingered. Klaus was gazing at them as well, his thumb tracing over her knuckles.

“Why was that necklace so important? I stole a good amount of jewelry and a few pounds as well. Why would Elijah send you after me for just that?” Caroline replied, notting that the sides of Klaus’s lips turned upright at the mention of her thievery. “I told you my story. Tell me yours.”

“Not as complicated as yours I’m afraid.” Klaus shrugged, pulling his hand from her grip after giving it a tight squeeze and stood, turning away from her. He sighed and smiled again but it was one of those smiles that was sad, as though he was lost in a memory of something bittersweet. “The necklace belonged to my sister, Rebekah.”

Caroline sat up straighter, her eyes wide and the feeling of her stomach dropping with a sense of dread. Guilt swarmed her and she could not imagine the look on Elijah’s face when he realized it was missing. She never once considered that some of the jewelry might have once belonged to Rebekah. For a moment Caroline had thought that maybe that the necklace was worth a heavy price, but she never considered that there might be sentimental value behind it.

“Je suis désolé.” The words rushed out. “I promise you that if I’d had known that it had belonged to her, I wouldn’t have taken it. I am many things but cold and callus isn’t one of them. I knew how much Rebekah meant to Elijah. I wouldn’t have done that.”

“I know. Elijah knew too. He knew that you didn’t realize that the necklace belonged to her, but can you see why he sent me after it. It had nothing to do with you, not really. If it had been anything else, Elijah would have let you go and worked to mend his pride, but when it comes to Rebekah, she is the exception.”

“Of course. Take it. I don’t want it. It belongs to your family.” She reached up and touched the necklace around her neck, wondering the story behind this one. In the back of her mind, if she had the chance to flee, she had always planned to take that necklace with her simply because she thought it was beautiful and loved it so much. Now, Caroline could not imagine ever touching it again. “Elijah told me she died in childbirth? He would never really talk about her. Just that he loved her very much and missed her everyday.”

“Yes. Childbirth. Officially anyway.” Caroline leaned in closer to him but he was staring off towards the small chest that now held the necklace, safely under lock and key. “When she married, I was already gone. I was twenty years old when I learned she married a nobleman by the name of Alexander Hastings. A son of a Lord or something. Elijah told me that she loved him very much and was happy on her wedding day.”

“You couldn’t be there I take it?” Klaus shook his head. “No. From what I heard your step-father wanted you nowhere near his other children. Banished you.”

“It’s why I ran away at thirteen. Found my real father, a sailor in the British navy and fell in love with the sea. I was fifteen when our ship was raided by pirates. Took a good whipping from them in the process. In the end I became just like them. I never saw my siblings after I left. Not Elijah, nor Kol, or Rebekah. The last memory I have of my sister was when she was ten years old but she wrote me letters. Everyday.”

“She loved you. I mean, really loved you.” Caroline whispered. She remembered the late nights in Elijah’s study, staring down at the portrait of Rebekah that hung on the wall. There was always a soft expression on her face and she was impossibly beautiful. Long blonde hair and blue eyes that looked like the heavens. “What happened?”

“Her husband married Rebekah for her dowry. My step-father didn’t realize how much in debt Alexander was in. He gambled his entire family estate away. He brought Rebekah home to an empty manor and left her there.” Klaus downed the rest of his wine, stood and sat the goblet on the table. He turned his back to her and Caroline knew it was because he didn’t want her to see the tears in his eyes. “He would spend his night with prostitutes and other ill reputable people while my sister kept his home warm. He gave her the French disease, my apologies for the name.”

“No apology needed.” Caroline whispered. Her fingers touched her lips lightly. She knew the effects of such a disease. It was always a concern of hers when she took lovers, ensuring that they were well before she fell into their bed. Her number was not as many as some assumed but there were more than she would have had if she married Stefan.

“He got her pregnant. It was not like she could refuse him. He cared little that he was ill. Passed that wretched disease onto my sister. The pregnancy was hard because of it. The labor came on early. The child died, as did she.”

“And Alexander?”

“I killed him.” Caroline sat up straighter, Klaus turned to look at her and he saw the red rim around his eyes. She stood from the bench and walked to him. She placed her hands on his forearm, tracing her fingers over his pulse point. “It was the first time I had been back in England since I left. Or least, got off the ship when docked. I learned of Rebekah’s death in a letter written by Elijah. I wasn’t allowed at her funeral, of course so I did the next best thing. I tracked him down at his gaming hell and slit his throat in an alleyway, whispering Rebekah’s name in his ear as he died.”

“Serves him right.” Caroline whispered. There were a million different day dreams on how she would kill Damon. She always wanted him to look her in the eye as life left his. Everytime she killed a man, whether it be one of the pirates hunting her or someone who wanted to harm her, she for a moment pretended that it was Damon. “Pity you couldn’t draw it out longer. He would have deserved it.”

“My mother stopped eating after that. Died of a broken heart. My step-father turned to the bottle. Elijah thinks he blamed himself for her loss. I hate the man but even I can’t blame him for this. Six months after my mother died, he drank too much and grabbed a pistol. Blew his brains out. My younger brother Kol found him.”

“Elijah told me his father killed himself. I suppose this explains why Kol is wild and untamed. He would do anything to wash away such a memory. Always gave me a laugh that one.” Klaus chuckled, at the mention of Kol. Caroline enjoyed Kol. He made her laugh the few times she met him. It was Kol who first told her of Klaus and the sordid details of his brother’s banishment. “He spoke highly of you.”

“Kol envies my freedom.” Klaus retorted with a chuckle. He sighed deeply and Caroline could feel the weight of it in her bones. She was drained from the memories of Damon just as Klaus would be for being lost in a daydream of Rebekah. “I’m tired. I suddenly feel as though a years-long journey has come to a close.”

“Because it has.” Caroline whispered. She turned to face him and she looked up at him. She placed her hands on his chest, stroking his cheekbones. She leaned forward and gave him a chaste kiss on the lips. It wasn’t deep or passionate. It was not the kiss of seduction or a game she played. It was a simple kiss of understanding, a mutual agreement that for the night they were not the pirate and his prey, just Klaus and Caroline. “Blow out the candles. Let us sleep.”

Caroline turned from him and walked over to the bed, curling up inside it. She brought the blanket to her chest as Klaus blew the candles out, engulfing that cabin in darkness. Klaus moved to slip in beside her and unlike the nights previously, Caroline moved to lay her head against his chest. Klaus opened his arms, pulling her against him stead of turning onto his side, giving her his back.

Caroline closed her eyes, listening to the soft thump of Klaus’s heartbeat beneath her ear. She could hear the cheering pirates from behind the door. A thousand cries of merriment could be heard as the dozens of ships celebrated their victory, no matter how small. Caroline wished she could partake in their livilness but something had changed.

She realized that her and Klaus were not that different. If anything, they were more alike than she had originally thought.

They continued sailing North in the days that followed. There was a shift in the rhythm between them and Caroline could feel it. They still battled with their words and Caroline was not one to let him win. He still gave her the worst jobs he could think of, just to see how far she would go and Caroline never gave him an inch. When she succeeded, and she always did, it was met with a smile; a proud smirk as though she had accomplished the impossible.

Caroline realized just how beautiful the sea really was. How harsh it could be in a rain storm and how calming it could be on a warm day as the sun beat down upon it. The crew’s infectious devotion to it sunk into her blood and she saw how much they loved their life. It was hard and cold but it made everyday worth living. Caroline had been on many ships but of them made her feel so free.

She found the irony in the fact that this ship was taking her back to England and back Elijah, a place that once threatened to shackle her; but she never felt so free as she did leaning against the railings gazing into the waves crashing against the edge of The Abattoir.

“Did you love him?” Klaus whispered to her one night as they lay in the bed, mere days before they docked at England. She could not see his eyes but she knew that this was a question that he had asked a hundred times but he still held doubt in her answer. Caroline had spent a year running from this man and in that time got to know him in ways she never knew any of her lovers. “Elijah?”

“No. I liked him but not loved. Elijah I think is my worst mistake and my biggest regret. I didn’t love him but I liked him enough that it pains me to know I caused him heartache.” Caroline closed her eyes, picturing Elijah’s face in her mind. “I don’t think I’ve loved anyone. Sometimes I don’t think I’m capable of it.” Caroline answered him honestly. It should terrify her just how easily this man was able to strip down her walls. Perhaps it was the cloak of darkness that surrounded them or something else, but Caroline found that she could not lie to him. In light of day, it was so easy to fall into the dance that lingered between them but at night, she found there was little she could hide behind. “Have you ever been in love?”

“Besides with the sea?”

“Yes.” Caroline chuckled, lightly. Klaus’s love for the ocean rivaled Caroline’s desire for freedom. She saw it in every moment he stood behind the helm of his ship. Leading the kingdom he created from one destination to another. A conquer and a king, not bound by the rules of polite society. It was easy for Caroline to see why his crew loved him so much. It made the decision Caroline found herself facing all the more difficult.

“Once. A long time ago.” Klaus reached out and took her hand, placing a small kiss on her knuckles. “There was a woman named Camille. I was young and foolish. She was older. Not by much. She was accustomed to pirates and had no time for my foolishness. I promised I would come back for her and take her away. She never believed me. In time the love faded. She loved someone else, I think. Opened an inn and settled down. Had a few children.”

“How epic.” Caroline replied, almost disappointed at the lack of romance and adventure. She had thought that a man like Klaus would have many loves in his life. To hear that only one captured his heart but that it wasn’t strong enough to keep ahold of it saddened her. “Do you still see her?”

“From time to time.” Klaus shrugged. “And not every love is epic Caroline. Cami just couldn’t compare to the sea. If I had to choose her or the ocean, the ocean wins and she knew that. It would take a strong woman for me to turn away from this life. I'm a pirate, it's in my blood now. I don’t understand how men can stand being on dry land all the time. It would be suffocating.”

“What if you met a woman who didn’t want you to choose? What if she wanted you just as you are? Ships and all?” Caroline did not know what it was that possessed her to ask such a question. Her mind and heart were already at war with one another. Her entire being was telling her flee, that she was in dangerous territory but there were not many places she could go when sailing in the middle of the ocean.

“Then she would be a fearsome woman to behold.” Klaus whispered gently, refusing to push the unspoken boundaries that they already had. He reached out and touched the tip of her nose, tracing his finger along the curves of her face. “And I think you’re capable of anything you set your mind to, Sweetheart. If you wanted to love someone, you would. You just have let yourself.”

“What if I can’t?”

“Then love yourself, because that is the most epic love story that will ever be told.”

Caroline could feel the air grew colder as they drew nearer to England. Navigation was not a strong ability of hers but she could tell that the waters changed. Perhaps it was her own imagination but there was something rough about the waves and the salt in the air seemed far more bitter. Caroline knew that Elijah would not harm her but she weighed with herself on whether or not she was ready to face him.

She did not miss how many of the ships fell back, sailing elsewhere or just lingering in the distance. Soon The Abattoir was the only one left and Caroline could already feel the shackles weighing down on her wrists as though she was facing the gallows. She missed the warm breeze of the Carribean and freedom that it presented. Europe always represented pressure and structure that she was just not made for, and when she saw land growing closer in the distance, part of her wanted to jump in the cold water below.

When she saw a coast approaching the shoreline, Caroline felt the panic swell up inside her faster and faster, threatening to spill over into tears that she refused to shed. She had been counting the days and the shore line appearing approximately four days too soon. It wasn’t time to face Elijah yet. She wasn’t ready. She would never be ready if she was honest.

“Welcome to Angra do Heroismo, Sweetheart, an Island just off the coast of Portugal.” Klaus whispered in her ear and Caroline whipped around to look at him. Klaus was wearing that infamous smirk that made the heat pool between Caroline’s legs. “You see, I have to feed this lot and supplies are running a bit low.”

“What about the rest of the fleet?”

“We spread apart, raid at different ports and then rendezvous in a few weeks. We will be in Portugal for the night only. Perhaps you will find that you can enjoy yourself before we head to England. Maybe snag something pretty too. ” Klaus was looking at her with such sincerity that it made Caroline smile widely. It appeared that her smile was infectious because Klaus started to grin, and the turn of his lips matched hers. “But, I must have you promise not to run off. Just because I shouldn’t burn all of Portugal to the ground, doesn’t mean I won’t.”

“You know how to woo a girl, Capital Mikaelson. You make it almost tempting to do such a thing.” Caroline placed her hand on Klaus’s chest, his eyes flickered down to her hand. Her finger’s crawled upward and grabbed the chains that hung loosely around his neck. “Perhaps I should let you chase me around a bit more.”

“Maybe, but I think that we’ve had enough of a chase to last a lifetime.” Klaus grabbed her hand and brought it to his lips, kissing her knuckles. He locked eyes with her, heat pulsing through them; an energy that matched the rhythm of her pounding heart. Klaus had opened up to her, and she to him but he kept her at arm’s length, never succumbing to her seduction. Although, if Caroline was being honest, she had stopped trying to seduce him and let herself be nothing more than herself.

“But that was always the fun part.”

“Maybe it was, but all good things must come to an end.” Klaus replied, his lips lingering just over hers in an almost kiss. They teased one another to see which one would break first, both far too stubborn to be the one to give in. Klaus’s eyes flickered from her eyes to her lips, and then back to her eyes, before grinning at her with a wide smile. He turned from her and yelled to his crew. “Prepare the cannons! Get ready to lay siege.”

Klaus walked away from Caroline, leaving her standing on the deck; frustration etched into her veins. The idea of laying siege to something, causing some kind of mayhem felt needed. The need and energy was pent up and the only solace that she had was knowing that Klaus had to be feeling the same, but the huge division of Elijah still stood between them. Caroline turned back to gaze out towards the Portugal coastline, waiting for the moment when they would attack.

“Are you excited?” Caroline turned to see Joshua standing next to her, sweat glistening off his skin and dirt lingering beneath his fingernails. He wore an easy smile and Caroline had to admit that she enjoyed Joshua’s company. He was funny, kind and easy going, and completely unattracted to her. Klaus made a rule that Caroline was off limits, but that did not mean that the pirates’ eyes did not linger, but not Joshua’s. “A siege is something else. Especially against a port.”

“I suppose. I don’t know what to expect if I’m honest. I was on the other end the last time Klaus’s raided a port. That and I always ran in the other direction any other time.” Caroline teased, with a raised eyebrow. “Although, the lot of you always looked like you were having so much fun. Perhaps it will be a nice change to be on a different side for once.”

“It would. Especially since you will have Marcel, Vincent and myself with you, it will be interesting to see what you think of it..” Caroline looked at Joshua as though he had lost his mind. He had the decency to look bashful. “I take it that capitan didn’t relay this information to you?”

“No! He did not.” Caroline turned on her heels and marched over to Klaus who was shouting orders at his men, cannons being rolled across the deck. Marcel was standing just behind the captain, his dreadlocks swaying in the wind. He handed Klaus a piece of parchment and Klaus looked down at it. “Klaus! What is this about? I’m to have bodyguards during the raid?”

“Yes.” Klaus peered up from the parchment and smirked at Caroline. “Do you honestly believe that I would let you loose on European soil and not expect you to flee. Your promises are only worth so much. Marcel and the others will accompany you. Enjoy the raid. Have fun. Steal a few things. Marcel will be there to prevent you from fleeing.”

“Non! Absolument pas!”

“Caroline-”

“I am a grown woman who gave my word.”

“You gave nothing Sweetheart.” Klaus sighed, handing the parchment back to Marcel and strolled to stand directly in front of Caroline. His eyes beat down upon her and she knew that this time, he wasn’t going to break. “You either accept Marcel, Vincnet and Joshua to accompany you ashore or I’ll lock you up in the captain's quarters.”

“Fine.” Caroline hissed out through her teeth. She turned on her heels and marched towards the other end of the ship, glaring out into the coastline. She knew why she was angry. She knew that if she found a moment to flee, no matter her budding feelings for Klaus, if there was a moment, she would have taken it. It might have broken her heart to do it but then she thought of Elijah, and fleeing was better than facing her own guilt. Klaus’s voice from the other night nagged in her head.

_“Then love yourself, because that is the most epic love story that will ever be told.”_

Until she was able to do that, Caroline wondered if she would ever be able to face Elijah again.

The sun set, plunging the island into darkness and the ship docked less than a mile off the shore. Klaus anchored The Abattoir just adjacent to the island and when the stars hung high in the sky, Caroline climbed into a row boat with Marcel, Vincent and Joshua; several other row boats following their lead. Marcel and Joshua rowed them closer to shore, Caroline still pouting over the fact that Klaus wanted her to have an escort.

“Think of it this way, Miss,” Vincent’s Jamacan accent reached her over the slapping of the ocean water. “He is so impressed with your skills that he had three pirates watching you. It would have been far too easy for you to slip past one of us.”

Before Caroline could respond, the sound of cannon fire echoed into the otherwise silent air and the sound of wood breaking could be heard as they landed on the shoreline, just under the docks. Caroline gripped her knife and the flintlock pistol on her hip, breaking into a speed neck to her guards as chaos erupted around them.

People were running and screaming through the streets; women carrying crying children while men pushed others to the side in order to save their own lives. Some were brave enough to fight back but most were taken unawares at the pillaging that was occurring. Cannons were knocking over carts and blowing holes into the sides of buildings. Pirate after pirate was breaking into store fronts and homes, stealing what they needed back at the ship. It was a supply run, Caroline knew this but she could not help but want something for herself.

Maybe snag something pretty too.

Like a good crew member, Caroline was just following orders. She looked around the street, spinning in a circle as Marcel, Vincnet and Joshua never strayed far from her. She narrowed her eyes and in the blast of the cannon fire, she spotted a very expensive looking house at the top of a large hill. Caroline smiled, knowing exactly where her destination was going to be. If she was going to find anything she deemed worth stealing, it was going to be there.

“Marcel!” Caroline called and the first mate turned to look at her. “How long does a siege last?”

“Two hours, at most. Why?” Marcel asked her with narrowed eyes. He clearly did not trust her and if Caroline did try to run, it would be most difficult to escape him. He was a good friend to Klaus and she would hate to shove her knife through his jugular. “What are you planning?”

“I want to go there.” Caroline pointed to the house and turned on her heels, breaking into a run after it; her three pirate guards hot on her heels. They made it up the hill quickly enough. Once they reached that imposing looking manner, something that reminded Caroline of her home in Versailles, with its white stone walls, tall archways and imposing balconies.

Marcel grabbed Caroline’s arm, pulling her to the side and before she could protest, Vincent was knocking on the door. It only took a few seconds before a butler opened the door and Vincent pulled out his pistol to shoot him in the head. The body hit the ground and in the back of Caroline’s mind, she wondered why this did not bother her in the slightest. Instead, she stepped over the fresh corpse and walked right into the manner. Servants were screaming, running through the manner in pure terror. Joshua grabbed a maid who tried to stab him and pulled her to his chest. Caroline looked at her with interest and smiled. She walked over to the maid, who was still fighting and snapped her fingers in her face.

“Is there a lady in the house? An older daughter perhaps?” Caroline asked but the maid spat at her. Narrowing her eyes as she wiped the siiva off her cheek. Caroline pulled her pistol from her belt and aimed it right at the maid’s head. “Want to try that again?”

“Up the stairs, sixth door on the left.” The maid trembled in Joshua’s arms and Caroline rolled her eyes. So much for bravery. Caroline smiled brightly at her and turned, running up the stairs. Marcel was hot on her heels while Joshua and Vincent pillaged the rest of the manner. She counted the doors until she reached the sixth one and turned to Marcel with a cocked eyebrow.

Marcel gave a deep and exaggerated sigh before kicking in the door, breaking it off its hinges completely. A young woman, no more than seventeen, screamed and pulled the sheets up around her as Caroline stepped through the door. She had light brown hair and olive skin tone. Her eyes were wide and she was clearly terrified, hoping that the covers of her bed would protect her.

“What is your name?” Caroline asked in a calming voice. There was something about the girl that gave her a hint of sentimental value. Before her was someone Caroline had once been. A young girl waiting for her parents to arrange a marriage with a man who would sweep her off her feet. “Answer me!”

“Davina.”

“Hello Davina. I’m Caroline. Where is your wardrobe?” Davina pointed to the other side of the room and Caroline turned away from her. She walked over to the wooden doors and pulled them open, searching through the fine fabrics. Many of them were deep, rich colors and Caroline pulled out a navy blue one that had a neckline that was far more scandalous than should belong to a maiden. “Oh! You’re a bit devious, aren't you? I love it!”

Caroline grabbed a chemise and a corset before going behind a changing screen that Davina had propped up in her chambers. Caroline stripped down, tossed her pirate garb to the floor and pulled the chemise over her head. She walked over to the bed with corset in hand and snapped her fingers, pointing her fingers to Marcel, beckoning him to come to her. She wrapped the corset around her waist and smirked as Marcel began expertly tying the strings together with an irritated groan.

“Well someone’s done this before!” Caroline teased him, trying to gage a smile from his lips, but he only tossed her an irritated expression. Caroline rolled her eyes and gripped the wooden post of Davina’s bed, directing her gaze on the terrified girl on the bed. “I hope you don’t mind me giving you a hint of advice Davina.”

“You’re stealing my clothes. At this point I take it you do whatever you please.” Davina replied, her soft voice growing stronger. Caroline cocked her eyebrow at her and smiled. Perhaps there was hope for this young woman after all. She sucked in a breath as the corset drew tighter, making Caroline realize that she had not worn a corset in a few weeks; since Klaus’s raid on Port Royal. “I hate those things.”

“Corsets?” Davina nodded. “They were made for the pleasures of men. It makes it easier for men to admire our figures, our comfort is never a priority. Hand me the dress Marcel.” Marcel grabbed the blue dress and handed it to Caroline who slipped it on, easily; tying the bodice tight against her chest and the skirt flared out around her. “What is made for the pleasure of men can be used against them. We are underestimated in the eyes of most men and therefore their ignorance is our alley. Life is not a fairytale, there will be no man to sweep you off your feet.”

“Then what do you suggest?”

“Love yourself.” The words tumbled from her lips, in a way that she was expecting, Klaus’s voice ringing in the back of her mind. Caroline turned to look at herself in the mirror. Her hair still pulled back into that messy bun at the base of her neck and the necklace Klaus had given her resting on her bosom, almost matching the color of the deep blue gown. There were shards of the girl Caroline had once been, lingering behind her eyes, but all she could see was the damaged shell she had created. “It will be the hardest thing you will ever do.”

Caroline turned to the vanity, unable to look at herself in the mirror for a second longer. She saw several pieces of jewelry lingering there, all made of fine quality. She picked up a bracelet and handed it to Marcel to pocket and another necklace followed. She reached for a pair of earrings that seemed older than the rest of the pieces, stubbs set with diamonds, and reached for them.

“Esperar! Não esses. Por favor!” Davina cried, jumping to the end of her bed. Her eyes were wide and glued to those earrings. “Please. Take whatever you want. All the dress and jewelry but not those earrings. Please. They belonged to my mother and they are the last thing I have of her. Please.”

The two women shared a look and the memory of Rebekah’s necklace surfaced in Caroline’s mind. The look of desperation on Davina’s face made her pull away, leaving the earrings sitting on the vanity. Caroline picked up her knife and pistol, then without a second glance Caroline walked out of the chamber; hearing the sound of feet scurrying towards what she assumed were those earrings. Caroline made her way through the manor, back down the stair and out the front door, all with Marcel hot on her heels. Joshua and Vincent were waiting for them, both looking at Caroline’s change of clothing with a cocked eyebrow.

“What? Can’t a girl feel pretty every now and again? It’s been too long and working on a ship is not the ideal time for fancy dresses.” Caroline snapped playfully, her reflective mood lightenly at Joshua’s chuckle. The four of them made their way down the hill and towards the port again; cannon fire, gunshots and rioting could still be heard. They eventually turned onto the main street to see people still running about but the port seemed to have thinned out, most people having gone into hiding.

Caroline gazed around, taking notice how the pirates were loading up the rowboats with items that they could fit. Their cheering and glee made her chuckle, it was obvious that they enjoyed the life and freedom being a pirate gave; embracing the destruction and thirst a raid gave them. She turned her head and she froze; the smile she wore slipped from her lips.

Klaus came around a corner from the street adjacent to where Caroline stood, followed by a woman with olive skin and dark hair. She was cursing at Klaus in portuguese and he whipped around to stare down at the woman. There was a familiarity between them that nagged at Caroline. The pit of her stomach rolled and she wanted nothing more than to pull out her pistol, and have the woman stare down its barrel. Klaus hissed something to her through clenched teeth. The woman gripped the hem of his coat and pulled him into a kiss that made Caroline see nothing but red.

Marcel reached for her but she shook him off, her feet carrying her towards Klaus and the woman who was moments away from feeling Caroline’s fury. Once she reached them Klaus had pushed the woman away and Caroline gripped her pistol, aiming it directly at the women's head. For a moment, she could see the amusement linger in Klaus’s eyes as she aimed her weapon but her gaze turned to look at the object of her fury.

The woman was tall with dark brown hair and matching dark eyes. They were beady and narrowed, her lips formed into a permanent pout that set Caroline’s skin on edge. She wore a dark burgundy dress that was made of cloth worn by those of a lower class. She was not made of wealth but there was a hint of desperation to her that made Caroline’s finger itch.

“Hayley, meet Caroline.” Klaus performed the introduction with a light tone that made her grip the pistol tighter. “Sweetheart, let me introduce you to Hayley. She owes a bar here and is an old friend.”

“Who is she? Your new whore?” Hayley whispered, not fazed by the pistol.

“Who are you? His old one?”

“Clearly. He whispered sweet promises in my ear and then left me high and dry the next morning.” Haley snapped at Caroline despite the fact that there was a loaded pistol aimed directly at her head. “Trust me, this one is not going to stick around with you for long. If I were you, I’d find someone else to keep your bed warm.”

“You jumped into bed with a pirate. Perhaps you should have known better.” Caroline stated, lowering her gun. Her eyes never left Hayley’s. The two women glared at one another. Caroline could not help but picture Klaus in bed with her and it was tearing her insides up. She had never felt such an emotion before. She had known that Klaus had lovers in the past, he admitted to being in love once but Caroline did not want to see it first hand.

“Sorry, Love, but if you think a liquor fueled one night stand means a thing than Caroline is right, you should have known better.” Klaus replied with a shrug of her shoulders. Hayley narrowed her eyes and walked up to Klaus, slapping him across the face; the sound echoed down the street. Caroline snorted at the sight, the sound of Hayley’s palm touching Klaus’s cheek almost soothed the raging monster that was crawling under her skin. “It would be wise for you to never do that again.”

“Monte de merda, Klaus. Espero que queimar no inferno.” Hayley hissed and turned on her heels, heading back towards what Caroline assumed was either her home or bar. They both watched her go. Klaus stepped up and placed his hand on the small of Caroline’s back but in that moment she really was not in the mood to feel his hands on her skin. Caroline stepped out of his grasps and turned away from him.

“Sweetheart?”

“Fuck you.” Caroline hissed and walked towards the docks. Fury was still pumping through her veins. She knew it was irrational but that kiss lingered in her mind and she hated seeing Klaus’s hands on another woman. No other lover she had taken affected her in such a way and yet she had not even slept with Klaus. The feelings that were bubbling in her chest was something she really was beginning to hate.

She bypassed Marcel, Joshua and Vincent and climbed into a row boat, snapping at them to take her back to the ship. The three climbed in after her, noticing the pistol that was still in her hand, knowing that she was not afraid to fire on one of Klaus’s men, they obeyed her command and rowed her back to the ship.

The trip was quick but Caroline wondered if that was because she was lost in her own thoughts and not paying attention to the pirates that surrounded her. She picked at her nails, scowling at dirt behind them. She realized that she had not had a proper bath in weeks and she really allowed herself to get lost in this life; in Klaus. Never before had she had a lover that blinded her so completely, even if she was still trying to find a way out.

It was then that Caroline realized, if she really wanted to leave, she would have done so already.

Caroline climbed the ladder to the ship and said nothing to the other pirates, even though they all took in her change of clothes with curiosity. She made her way to the captain’s quarters and slammed the door behind her. She paced the quarters for what seemed like an eternity, the thoughts of Klaus’s one-sided kiss with Hayley and her own feelings. It was no surprise that she cared for Klaus, and was even falling for him, but the depth that she was already in took her unawares.

She caught the sight of herself in the mirror and paused. Before her was the woman she had molded into being for the last nine years. Someone fearless and ruthless, never allowing herself to feel more than what was necessary to keep herself alive. But beneath the blue dress and quick wits was the same sixteen year old girl Caroline fought so hard to leave behind.

“You do look beautiful Sweetheart.” Caroline didn’t even need to turn around for Klaus appeared in the mirror, standing directly behind her. He placed his hands on her shoulders, his fingers tracing her collarbone and lingering on the necklace he had given her. The feeling of his touch made her angry again and she whipped around, raising her hand to strike him. Before her palm was able to make contact with his skin, Klaus grabbed her wrist and tossed her an amused smile. “What is it with women hitting me tonight?”

“Perhaps you should direct that question to yourself and maybe you will have an answer.” Caroline pulled her wrist from his grasp and walked around him, balling her fists in fury. “So, did you follow her back to her bar and have a quickie before making your way back to the ship? You’ve had a few dry weeks, I suppose it is to be expected that you would seek out someone to bed.”

“Jealousy does look good on you Sweetheart, especially when it is over me.” Klaus teased and Caroline narrowed her eyes. Upon reflex, she picked up a goblet that was filled with water and chucked it across the room at him, Klaus dogging out of its way. A mixture of amusement and annoyance could be heard in his chuckle.

“I’m not jealous.”

“Clearly not.” Klaus replied. He slowly walked towards her with his hands upright, as though he was surrendering to her assault. “Tell me, what is it that bothers you, the fact that I had sex with Hayley the last time I was docked here on this island or the fact that she clearly wanted to pick up where we left off?” Caroline did not answer. “Or maybe it's the thought that you believe I would have her again. Is that it?”

“Va te faire foutre.” Caroline’s french accent slipped out and dug her nails into the palm of her hand, causing half crescent marks to sink into her skin. The image of Klaus and Hayley wrapped around each could not stop from playing in her mind. “And who am I to stop you if you want to sink your cock into some whore. Go. Have a little fun while I’m trapped here! You’re a pirate after all. Isn’t that what you do? Seduce a young woman into bed to starve off your lust and then sailing away without a second thought? Men. You’re all alike.”

“May I remind you, Sweetheart, that it was because of your previous indiscretions that brought us here? If you had not seduced my brother and stole something precious from him, neither one of us would be standing here right now.” Klaus stepped forward, his shoulders tense and rigid. “Sticks and stone, love. I’m not the only one with a past in this room. I’ve had many lovers over the years but then again, so have you. Tell me, what is it that you do? Seduce a young man and then run off with his worldly possessions without a second thought? My brother being one of them. You’re more of a pirate than you give yourself credit for.”

“Is that what it is always going to come down to? That necklace and Elijah? Tell me, what are you expecting to happen when you drag me back to England? Hmm? Elijah wants me to answer to him for stealing the necklace and then what? Marry him? Tell me, would you come to our wedding? Stand and bear witness to my union with your brother?” A flash of something dark crossed Klaus’s eyes and he gripped her by the shoulders, moving her backwards until she hit the edge of the wooden table. “It seems that I am not the only one that is jealous.”

“Is he who you really want? Elijah? To become a duchess and bound by the confines of English polite society?” Klaus hissed back at her, his hands roaming the outside of her dress. The room grew warm as though a fire had been lit inside the cabin. A flicker of flames could be heard coursing between the two of them. Tensions were at their highest, threatening to snap. “Or perhaps it is one of your other lovers? You have left a trail of them behind.”

“And of you?” Caroline whispered, the heat of her breath touching his skin. “What is it that you want? Hayley? Or that Irish barmaid you once loved? Maybe none of them? Maybe all of them? Like you said, sticks and stones.”

“What I want, is something I shouldn’t. Something that will burn me if I let myself have it.” Klaus replied in a low tone that sent shivers down her spine. His fingers trailed up her arms and around the bodice of her dress, his fingers dipping into her cleavage. “But the truth is, what I want may not want me. Not really.”

“Maybe they are just scared. Maybe it is everything they have ever wanted and yet faced with it is something so terrifying they do not know how to handle it.” Caroline replied in a whisper. Her eyes traced his face, searching for some sign of trust and vulnerability that mirrored her own. “Maybe they are just scared of being broken again.”

Tensions snapped and Klaus’s lips descended upon hers, pulling her into a bruising kiss. The kiss was wild, passionate and filled with the year that he had chased her across the world and the weeks theys battled with their wits. Every ounce of lust, desire and unspoken feeling poured out of them into that kiss. Caroline weaved her fingers into Klaus’s golden locks, pressing her bosom to his chest. Klaus’s hands roamed her body, feeling every curve the elebrate dress would allow him. Klaus’s fingers reached for the hem of the dress and tore it apart at the sem.

“I just stole that dress!” Caroline cried out as their lips broke apart. Klaus gave her a filthy smirk and placed his hands on her hips. He spun her around, pulling her hair from its bun as he did. Her curls tumbled over her shoulders and Klaus’s lips latched onto her ear. Caroline let out a low moan as his teeth nipped at her ear lobe. “Klaus. I really liked that dress.”

“I’ll steal you another one.” Klaus murmured against her ears, his hands pulling the newly ruined dress down her body, causing Caroline to be standing in nothing but her corset and chemise. He pushed her hair to one side of her head and trailed a mass of sloppy kisses down the side of her neck, his fingers moving towards the ties of her corset. He began making quick work of the ties that held the corset together. “Do you know how much I imagined doing this the first time we met? My pirate laying on the stone walkway in that alleyway, bleeding out while you held your pistol to my head. I wanted to fuck you right there and then.”

“I would have let you.” Caroline moaned as the corset dropped to the floor and Klaus’s hands palmed her breast through the chemise, pinching her erect nipple as he did. His lips lapped at her pulse point and his teeth scraped against her skin. He gripped her chin and turned her head in order to kiss her lips again. Caroline bit down on his lips, drawing a small amount of blood into her mouth with the kiss. “But I believe it was you who claimed that you were too smart to be seduced by me.”

“Seduction has nothing to do with this.” Klaus hissed into her lips, spinning her around in his arms again. He reached down and gripped her bottom, lifting her onto the table. She leaned up to kiss him again, gripping his hair tightly. His hands trailed down her legs and pulled her boots from her feet, tossing them aside somewhere in the cabin. “At least not entirely.”

“Then what is it?” Caroline moaned as Klaus’s hands trailed the length of her bare legs. She wore no stockings or undergarments, for there was no time to do so in the middle of the raid. His fingers brushed against her soaking wet core faintly but pulled away causing her to let out a frustrated moan. She locked eyes with him and Klaus grinned at her, enjoying the sight of her skin flushing from his touch. Not willing to be out done, Caroline moved her fingers to the sleeve of her chemise and slid them off her shoulder. The chemise slowly pooled around her waist, leaving her chest bare for him to see. “What is this if not seduction?”

“The most sought after treasure. Something everyone craves.” Klaus fingered the top of the chemise and touched her stomach before sliding upwards to her naked chest. His fingers spread out against her cleavage where the necklace he gave her laid and gently pushed her backwards, allowing her to lay against the wooden table. Klaus crawled on top of the table after her, fully clothed and his eyes blazing with desire. “It's the one thing that even the darkest of men want. The purest of women dream of it. Yet, it seems to be the most unattainable treasure of all.”

“And yet here it is.”

“Here it is.” Caroline reached up and pulled Klaus into another bruising kiss. Her fingers pushed the heavy coat off of him and he broke away just long enough to toss it on the floor before latching his lips back onto hers. His hands gripped her thighs and spread them apart. Higher and higher his hands trailed until he reached her aching core. Caroline moaned into his lips as his thumb pressed against the nub between her legs.

Klaus broke the kiss and gazed down at her face, sinking two of his fingers into her opening. Caroline’s back arched off the table, her head rolling to the side and her mouth falling open. Klaus’s eyes never left her face, taking in every inch of her pleasure as his fingers slipped in and out of her. His thumb drew soft circles on her clit as his fingers curled inside her, brushing that spot that had her crying out his name. Her hips thrusted against his fingers, chasing that high Klaus could see building with every thrust. Her hands left his hair and reached up behind her, gripping the edge of the wooden table.

“Klaus! Yes. S'il vous plaît.” Caroline screamed out as her climax hit her hard, not caring if the entire crew heard her scream. Her body withered as she rode out her high and Klaus’s fingers still thrusting, taking in every ounce of her pleasure. He leaned down and placed comforting kisses along her collarbone. When she laid against the table, boneless and stated, Klaus pulled his fingers from her body. Caroline placed a hand on his shoulder, pulling his lips from her skin.

Without speaking, Caroline gently pushed him away from her and he crawled off the table. Caroline sat up, scooted to the edge and placed her palms against his chest. She ran her hands downward until she reached the top of his breeches. She untucked his shirt from his breeches and Klaus pulled it over his head. Caroline leaned forwards and began placing light kisses on his chest, tracing a few faded scars upon his body with her tongue. Klaus moaned at the feel of her lips on his skin and her nails scraping down his chest until she reached his belt.

Caroling unbuckled his belt and tossed it to the ground, his pistol and sword hitting the floor with a hard thud. Klaus weaved his hands into her hair, massaging her scalp as she pulled the ties from his breeches apart. She pushed his breeches down just far enough to release his very erect cock and palmed it. Klaus hissed in pleasure as she gripped him, trusting her hand up and down, her lips still sucking and biting at his chest. Caroline spread her legs wider and pulled away from his chest. Klaus leaned down and rested his head against her forehead, both their eyes looking down at his cock in her hand. Klaus pushed her chemise up far enough, gripping her hips as he went, to watch as she aligned him with her opening.

Klaus pushed into her, seething himself to her hilt until his pelvis met hers. They both groaned at the feeling of finally connecting. Their eyes met, breathing mingled and Klaus leaned forward to place a gentle kiss upon her lips. Slowly, he withdrew from her body, only to thrust roughly back into her. Over and over he thrusted in and out of her, causing the table to creek under both of their movements. The ship had long since set sail and the swaying of the boat only enhanced their coupling. Caroline tossed her head back, screaming out Klaus’s name as he hit a sensitive part inside her. Klaus latched onto her exposed neck, his teeth scraping against her skin.

“Klaus.” Caroline moaned into his ear, gripping the edge of the table until her nails made small indents into the wood. She bit her lip and her eyes fluttered shut, taking in the feeling of him being inside her; relishing in the pleasure he gave her. “Stop. I want you on the bed. I want to feel you under me.”

Klaus pulled his lips from her neck, pulling back to look at her. The edges of his lips turned upright and he placed a small kiss on her lips before pulling out of her. Both of them whimpered at the loss of contact. Klaus stepped away from her and kicked off his boots. As he was pulling his trousers off the rest of the way, Caroline hopped down from the table, letting her chemise fall to the ground. Klaus’s eyes roamed over her, taking in her completely naked body for the first time.

Caroline stepped towards him and placed her hands on his chest again. She leaned up to kiss him on the lips again. The kiss was lazy and gentle, the two of them grinning into each other like fools. Caroline gave a slight chuckle, just before pushing him backwards. Klaus landed on the bed with a soft thump. She followed suit, crawling up his body and straddling his waist. She gripped his cock and aligned him with her opening again.

Slowly, Caroline lowered herself onto him. She sunk down onto him and felt how much deeper he went inside her. His cock stretched her, filling her to the hilt. She placed her hands on his chest before lifting her hips up and down. Klaus placed his hands on her hips, helping guide her movements. His eyes never left hers as he watched her ride him, basking in what he believed to be the most beautiful sight he had ever seen.

Caroline’s hair fell around her face, causing a curtain to engulf them, separating them from the rest of the world. Caroline leaned down and kissed Klaus, pressing her chest to his. Their kiss matched the movements of Caroline’s hips. One of Klaus’s hands trailed up her back, weaving into her hair. He broke the kiss, staring into her eyes as their breath mingled together.

Klaus’s other hand gripped hip and as quickly as he could, flipped them so Caroline was lying beneath him. Her legs wrapped around his hips and her lips turned upright into a smile at the sudden change in position. Klaus took in the sight of her hair sprawled out against his pillows, a sight he had seen for the past few weeks but not like this. At that moment, he knew that this was not the last time he wanted to see it.

He leaned down and kissed her again before thrusting in and out of her. His movements were slow and lengthy. HIs hips drew long thrusts, slapping back into her with devastating strikes causing Caroling to cry out each time. Their eyes never left one another, pouring their unspoken confessions to each other; words that neither were willing to speak out loud.

Klaus could feel Caroline’s climax building, step by step she felt him caressing her. Caroline closed her eyes, losing herself to the pleasure, embracing that coil that was throbbing in the pit of her stomach, waiting to break. When it finally did snap, her cries of pleasure could not be muffled by the sound of the waves hitting the side of the ship. The mere sight of her coming against him, was enough for Klaus to let himself go and spill inside her.

Klaus held himself above her until his body shed each and every moment of his high. His eyes were shut tight as he embraced the climax. When they climbed down from that cloud, he could feel Caroline’s fingers tracing his spine, gracing the scars on his back. He opened his eyes to see her bright blue ones staring back at him. She gave him a small smile and one that Klaus was happy to match.

“Hi.”

“Hi.” Klaus replied and leaned down to kiss her again, lightly this time. Slowly, he pulled himself out of her and laid down beside her. He opened his arms, welcoming her to lie with him. Caroline rested her head on his chest, one of her legs wrapping around him while her hands drew lazy circles on his skin. “Why did we wait so long to do that again?”

“Good question.” Caroline laughed, placing a kiss on his chest. “I believe that it had something to do with pride on both our parts.” That caused Klaus to laugh, his chest rumbling with delight. He placed a kiss on the top of her head and began running his fingers through her hair.

They lapsed into silence, enjoying the feel of the others' stated body pressed against them. They could hear the rushing of the waves out the ship’s windows and feel the rocking of the boat. Marcel’s shouts of commands could be heard as The Abattoir sailed north. A lingering question hung in the air but Klaus knew what he wanted.

“Stay.” He whispered into the darkness. Caroline shifted and propped herself up on her elbow. Her blue eyes gazed down at him, hesitation and fear lingering in her eyes. Klaus reached up and cupped her cheek, tracing her cheekbones with his thumb. “After Enlgand. Stay. With me. We will give him the necklace back and he will get the closure he needs. We will leave and never come back if we don’t want to. Just, stay on this ship with me. I’ll take you wherever you want to go.”

“You and a fleet of ships and at least a hundred men.” Caroline replied, not knowing what else to say. Klaus chuckled and Caroline leaned down to kiss him. Klaus wrapped his arms around her body, pulling her tightly against him. He moved her to lay on her back, almost ready to have her again. He allowed himself to fall into her again, over and over as the night went on. Neither could be stated nor their desires quenched, one was always reaching for another.

In the back of his mind, as Klaus whispered her name over and over again like prayer, he knew that she never gave him an answer.

When the sun rose and peeked through the captain’s windows, Klaus reached over for Caroline. However, the bed was cold. He shot up like a bullet leaving a pistol and looked around the cabin. Her dress was still on the floor and so was her chemise. In the corner, the trunk Caroline had been using was open and her boots were gone. Klaus jumped out of the bed, threw his breeches on but nothing else. He burst through the door, his eyes searching for Caroline, praying that she was on the deck taking in the morning breeze. His hopes were dashed when all he saw were the men of his crew, preparing for the day.

“Where is she!?” Klaus screamed, knowing the answer. The crew gazed at him with fear in their eyes. A few brave ones glanced at one another, but Klaus could only feel the fury pulsing through his body. “Search below deck! Find her!”

The crew scrambled while Marcel watched him wearily. The conversations he had with his first-mate rang loud and clear, Klaus was getting in too deep and Caroline was sinking her nails into him deeply. He walked over to the edge of the ship, gripping the railing tightly. He took a few deep breaths, getting his temper under control.

“Klaus.” He turned to see Marcel giving him a look. Klaus knew what he was telling him. He felt his entire heart shatter into a thousand pieces. Everything he feared from the moment he had met her became real. He always feared she would run at the first chance, and she did. He let his guard down with her and it ruined him in the end.

Caroline was gone.

Klaus stormed away, heading back towards the captain's quarters, slamming the door behind him as he went. He leaned back against the door, closing his eyes, allowing his mind to take in the sense of betrayal he was feeling. He wondered if his brother felt this way when he found Caroline gone the morning after he proposed to her. He wondered if Caroline got under his skin the same way she sunk into his bones. She betrayed him, he allowed his heart to thump against the rhythm she set, and now he could feel it shattering into a thousand pieces.

He held her at arm's length, knowing that if any woman would break him it would be her. When Elijah first set him on this quest, he thought it would be easy. Yet, when Caroline was able to evade him at every turn, he realized that she was not like any other woman. She was so much more. He knew after raiding that port in Spain, when she left a trail of his men behind, that this was a woman he could easily fall in love with. When he finally captured her, he was on his guard but she broke down those defenses; piece by piece.

When he opened his eyes, he looked around the cabin. Memories of night before came to mind, the feeling of her skin under his would haunt him. The desire he felt for her would linger under his fingertips and no other woman would compare. If he were to take another, Klaus would close his eyes and pretend for a few short moments that they were all Caroline.

Before it was easier. Before they were nothing but a warm body. Now, they would become a surrogate for what he truly desired. He knew that no other woman would be able to compare to her. Every blonde woman he saw, he would wonder if it was her. He had a preference for blondes, that much he knew but now his entire being screamed for Caroline.

And yet Caroline was gone.

As he gazed around the room they had shared for the last three weeks, his eyes zeroed on the table he had first loved her on. As he went through on those moments, wondering if he ever would have that chance again, he noticed that there was a piece of parchment laying on the table with something on top of it. Klaus moved towards the table, glancing down at it and he froze. There was a letter with his name written upon the parchment, and Rebekah’s necklace holding it in place; preventing it from sliding off onto the floor. With shaky hands, Klaus reached down and picked up the parchment turning it over to see that it was not sealed. He opened it and unfamiliar handwriting greeted him, Klaus realized that he had never seen what her penmanship was like.

_Klaus,_

_If you’re reading this then I know you’re angry. Furious even and you have every right to be. After you had fallen asleep, I watched your chest rise and fall. You looked peaceful and all I wanted to do was crawl back into that bed with you. I wanted to listen to your heartbeat and wake up next to you. I wanted to take you up on your promise and stay. It was something I had never felt before; this longing in my heart._

_But I’m a coward._

_Not many would admit that but it's true. I’ve been running for so long and not just from you, but from everything. Please know that this time it is not you that I flee from; but the consequences of my own actions. I’m not ready to face Elijah. To see that heartache that I caused written on his face. He did not deserve what I had done to him. It wasn’t right and part of me will always feel guilty for that._

_Before you jump to conclusions, I don’t love Elijah. I’ve said it before but I don’t think you ever really believed me. I liked him and I think he is one of the best men I have ever met. He restored a faith in me that men were not all vile creatures out to ruin everything they touched. He was a good man and perhaps the first one I had ever truly met, and one day I will have to look him in the eye, paying for the sins I’ve done against him. I respect him and yet, I could not marry him. Instead of just saying no, I ripped his heart out instead._

_I do not want to do that to you. Everything I feel for you is real and if Elijah was not looming over us, I would have stayed. I would have made a life by your side, exploring the world and touching every inch of life I was offered. I’m just not ready to face my past yet._

_You once said something that lingered with me. That the most epic love story is one where I love myself. The truth is that you’re right. I don’t love myself. I respect the woman who I became but I still live in the shadow of who I once was; that naive young girl who held all of France in the palm of her hand. I need to let go of her before I ever can truly allow myself to love you the way you deserve. Because that is what I want, to love you._

_So I propose a compromise. Go to Elijah and give him Rebekah’s necklace. Tell him that I had no idea that it was hers and I hope that he still has enough faith in me to know that I would not have stolen it if I knew its history. Meanwhile, I am going to do something I vowed I never would._

_I’m going home._

_I think it is time that I looked my father in the eye and showed him the creature he created. I’m going to show Damon that he did not beat me. That he did not ruin me. I’ve been broken for so long and allowing men who have not seen me in nine years to control my life. I think it is time that I begin that epic love story you spoke of and maybe, if you will have me, you can be a part of it._

_Go to Elijah and then maybe, if you can find it in your heart to forgive me, come for me. You chased me across the world once, maybe you will find in your heart to do so again? This time I promise to make it easy._

_I’ll spend one year in Versailles and if you do not come then I’ll have my answer._

_With my love,_  
_Caroline._

“Captain?” Marcel’s voice chimed from the cabin door. Klaus turned to see that he was leaning against the archway and possibly had been for some time. His dark eyes were worried and hooked onto the letter in Klaus’s hand. Klaus folded the parchment up and held it close. Knowing that he would tuck it away in a book or chest, only to pull it out again when he wanted to fall asleep. “Shall we turn around? She would have headed for Portugal, it is the closest port. We can search every dock and port until we find her.”

“No.”

“What?”

“We stay on course. We are due for England in a few days.” Klaus took a deep breath, glancing down at Rebekah’s necklace. She could have taken it. Pulling it from the ches he had placed it in and to purposely leave it on the table was a message. A message that her word was good. Klaus just did not know what he was going to do with it yet. “We let her go. She wasn’t our bounty anyway. I got what I came for, so we sail on.”

“Yes sir.” Marcel replied, shutting the cabin doors behind him. Klaus could hear his first mate shouting at the crew to hoist the sails and move onward. Klaus sat down upon the bed that Caroline had claimed as hers for the short time she had slept in it. He looked over her letter, reading her words over and over again until he knew every word.

He stood from the bed, picking up Rebekah’s necklace off of the table and moved towards the other side of the quarters. He gazed at the bench where they had shared a bottle of wine and he began to see the cracks of the woman hidden under the shell she created. The hurt ran deep into her soul, maring the beautiful woman he knew she was. If he ever laid eyes upon Damon Salvatore or the Marquess that called himself her father, Klaus knew that they would find themselves with a bullet in their heads.

Klaus placed the necklace back into the chest, locking it before pulling a book off the shelf; one that he rarely read. He opened it and slipped Caroline’s letter between two pages before placing it back on the shelf. His fingers lingered over the book’s spine, knowing that it would see more cracks in the future. He gave it one last gaze before turning away from it to gather his clothes. He picked up Caroline’s dress, corset and chemise, folding it and placing it in the trunk she had used. He dressed and made his way back out onto his ship, resuming the role of captain he knew so well.

Five days and six hours later, Klaus found himself sitting in the private study that once belonged to his step-father. Since Duke Mikael Mikaelson’s death, Klaus had been back to this obnoxious manner a total of four times. The paintings that hung on the walls haunted him. His step-father’s piercing eyes glared down at him and for a moment, it almost made him feel as though he was alive and well. Then there was the portrait of his sister, a full grown woman he had never seen; for his memory lingered on the ten year old girl who cried the day he was banished from this very manner.

Klaus turned to his brother and gazed at him. Elijah was everything a Duke should be. Tall, handsome, rich and had an impeccable reputation. However, Klaus knew that Elijah was more than willing to get his hands dirty if the situation called for it. There were many times Elijah entered the gaming hells when their youngest brother Kol had gotten himself too deep into trouble.

With his brown hair, chocolate eyes and looking as though a hair was never out of place, Klaus could see why the English ton salavated after him. He was a catch and possibly the best of them all.

“You’re saying that she just vanished?” Elijah inquired, picking up the tea he had poured out for them. Klaus had not touched his; for he found that he was not one for tea as it was. He preferred something far stronger than the boring brew the English drank. “You were in the middle of the ocean. How on earth could she have possibly escaped off a ship?”

“My men report that one of the row boats is missing. She must have found a way to undo its restraints and lower it into the water.” Klaus replied, trying to sound unbothered and unimpressed. In truth, when Marcel had reported the crew’s findings, Klaus could not help but laugh at Caroline’s ability to achieve her goals. Unhinging a boat alone was not an easy feat to do. “Either way, we have Rebekah’s necklace. It can go in the family vault again.”

“Yes. There is that.” The brothers looked down at the necklace that now rested on the table between them. The relationship between them had been strained and hostile at points in the past. From the moment Klaus was banished because his step-father could no longer stand the thought of claiming the bastard as his own, communication was rare. It was only Rebekah who wrote to him and on occasion Kol. It wasn’t until Rebekah’s death that he had heard from his elder brother. “Did you tell her? Its origin?”

“I did.” Klaus picked up the tea in order to have something to do with his hands. He was itching to be away from this place. To flee from it confines and return to his ship, for he had a voyage to complete. Perhaps he could understand Carolines desire to be away from such a place, for had she not originally fled from a manner such as this? A tragic history that lingered in her walls just as his home haunted him? Klaus found that sitting across from Elijah that Caroline would have hated this place. It would have reminded her too much of France and she could never have let herself be trapped within those walls. Klaus realized then that his brother had never really loved the real Caroline, just the front she put out to the world. He loved the idea of her, but never really her.

“And?”

“She said that if she knew the truth behind it, she never would have taken it.” Klaus replied, looking at his brother intently. He wanted Elijah to believe him; to believe that Caroline was not some thieving whore he had raved about when he first summoned Klaus home. Klaus remembered how his brother had been in those days.

The brown hair that was always perfect was loose and hung in his eyes. The expensive jackets and breeches that cost more than most of his men’s life wages were wrinkles and stained. He reeked of bourbon and appeared not to have showered in days. Caroline had wrecked him completely, causing him to sprew vile things about her, demanding that Klaus find that necklace and bring Caroline back to him. It was at that moment, in seeing his perfect brother completely wrecked, that Klaus first realized that Caroline was a woman worth knowing.

“I believe her.”

Elijah peered at Klaus over his tea. His brown eyes were narrowed and the glare reminded him of his late mother; how she could always tell when he was lying. Those piercing eyes and gaze that saw through every ounce of self-punishment and fury. The gaze that told Klaus that his brother did care even though he never said the words aloud.

“You’re in love with her.”

“What?” Klaus froze, glaring at his brother. In the days after Caroline had fled, Klaus had done everything he could to suppress the feelings that he had for her. There were parts of him that were still so angry and raw when it came to Elijah, and sometimes Kol but that did not mean he wanted to see his brother suffer; especially confessing that he had fallen in love with the same woman that broke Elijah’s heart. “I’ve only known her for three weeks.”

“I knew I loved her after two.” The words slipped easily past Elijah’s lips. Klaus narrowed his eyes, inspecting his brother closely. He had a year to mourn the relationship that he had with Caroline; coming to terms that she never would be his duchess. One whole year to say goodbye to a dream that would never come true. Klaus did not know what to say to Elijah because it was evident that there would always be a part of him that loved Caroline. “It matters not now. She left us both.”

“Yes. She did.” Klaus replied, solemnly, thinking of the letter she had left him behind. Caroline once told him that she had written her ex-fiance, Stefan a letter when she fled on the eve of their wedding and wondered if she had left one for Elijah behind. She must have for it appeared to be her pattern but Klaus was afraid to ask. Afraid to know what that letter contained. If he inquired after it, then Elijah would know she wrote one for him as well. They both would want to know what she said to the other and that was a road Klaus was unwilling to travel. “I saw Kol briefly before meeting with you. He said that congratulations are in order?”

“Yes.”

“When is the wedding? What is her name?”

“Three weeks and her name is Gia.” Elijah replied promptly. There was a small smile on his lips but it lacked the passion of the broken man that sat in that chair a year prior. Whomever this Gia was, she clearly was the right choice. A proper woman of the ton and one their parents would have been proud to call their daughter; and one so completely unlike Caroline. “She is the daughter of the Earl of Pembroke.”

“Ah. Well, I wish you the best of luck and happy wedded bliss.” Klaus replied and sat his tea down. He gave his brother a slight bow of the head as he made his way to the door. He should have known that it was not going to be that easy, that Elijah would stop him. He always did, always trying to be the better brother and bring the family’s black sheep back into the fold.

“Klaus. You don’t have to go. You can stay.” Elijah told him, as he had since the moment Mikael had died. His step-father was not even cold in his grave before Elijah was sending for Klaus, wishing to bring him back home. At first, Klaus had thought Elijah had done it to appease a nagging Rebekah and when Rebekah died, Klaus thought he was honoring their dead sister’s wishes. Now, Klaus was forced to admit that his elder brother was sincere in his wishes. “You belong here, with family. Not aboard some ship.”

“I’m a pirate brother. Always will be. Besides, I’m quite certain if I linger on English soil for too long I will be facing the hangman's noose.” Klaus smiled, knowing how the majority of the English felt about pirates. It was only due to Elijah’s influence that he made it thus upon dry land and would be due to Elijah that he would make it back to his ship. “The sea is not something I can leave behind.”

“Very well.” Elijah sighed, completely unsurprised by the answer. Klaus smirked at him, knowing that it would be some time before he saw his brother again and made a note to send him a wedding gift upon his next raid. Klaus would search out the most valuable treasure for his brother’s new wife, and perhaps the most inappropriate one as well. “And where will you go next?”

Klaus paused, wondering just how to answer him. In truth, there were many answers he could give. He could list the numerous places he had seen and provide every name of the soil he had touched. He could avoid the question by giving a nondescript answer such as the sea would guide him. Or he could tell him the truth, that he was off on a hunt and possibly the most important one of all. Instead he settled for something far simpler.

“I hear that Versillas is nice this time of year.”

**Author's Note:**

> Happy birthday to me. Happy birthday to me.
> 
> *sits back and hides as the rest of you reads this*


End file.
